黑料社区

The Saudi Central Bank, known as SAMA, recently released its Monthly Statistical Bulletin for August 2025, providing an insightful snapshot of the Kingdom鈥檚 financial health, banking performance, digital progress, and macroeconomic indicators. 

The report offers a comprehensive overview of monetary aggregates, liquidity measures such as M3, and key interest rates, including repo and reverse repo. 

It also details banking sector performance, covering total assets, credit distribution, deposits, reserve assets, and payment system activity such as point-of-sale transactions.

The bulletin revealed that M3 expanded by 8.4 percent year on year in August 2025, reaching SR3.2 trillion ($854 billion), reflecting strong liquidity in the Saudi economy. 

This increase was driven by robust lending to both the private and public sectors, which in turn supported deposit growth and broader money supply expansion. Together, these trends underscore healthy economic momentum and sustained credit activity across the Kingdom.

黑料社区鈥檚 reserve assets stood at approximately SR1.71 trillion in August 鈥� down 2.8 percent from SR1.76 trillion a year earlier 鈥� primarily due to a 4.5 percent decline in foreign securities investments. 

This may reflect strategic portfolio adjustments, profit-taking, or a shift toward domestic opportunities and emerging obligations. Despite the modest decline, the Kingdom continues to maintain a strong financial buffer that reinforces long-term economic sustainability.

The banking sector demonstrated steady expansion, with total assets reaching SR4.9 trillion in August 鈥� up 3.2 percent year on year. 

Although deposit growth lagged behind lending activity, the loan-to-deposit ratio remained within a safe regulatory range. To address the funding gap, banks have diversified their financing sources through increased bond issuances and external borrowings.

Lending activity remained solid, with claims on the private sector rising to SR3.12 trillion 鈥� an impressive 13.5 percent increase over the previous year. Mortgage lending also continued to grow, climbing 14.5 percent to SR932.8 billion in the second quarter of 2025. 

Meanwhile, financing for small and medium-sized enterprises surged to SR420.7 billion, up 36.8 percent year on year. 

The SME share of total credit rose from 9 percent in Q2 2024 to 10.8 percent in Q2 2025 鈥� an encouraging sign that aligns with Vision 2030鈥檚 target of increasing SME financing from 2 percent to 20 percent by 2030.

SAMA鈥檚 data further confirmed the sector鈥檚 resilience and sound capitalization. In August 2025, the ratio of capital and reserves to total deposits stood at 18.85 percent 鈥� well above regulatory thresholds. Profitability also improved, with aggregate net income before zakat and taxes rising to SR67.9 billion, up from SR57.8 billion a year earlier.

Interestingly, the number of ATMs declined to 14,814 from 15,546 over the past year, while the number of bank-issued cards rose sharply to 59.9 million from 49.7 million. This shift illustrates the rapid transition toward digital and card-based transactions as consumers and businesses increasingly embrace non-cash payment methods.

Electronic payments continued to gain remarkable momentum in August, underscoring the success of the Kingdom鈥檚 digital transformation agenda. Point-of-sale transactions reached SR63 billion, supported by an extensive network of 2.2 million terminals. 

E-commerce activity also strengthened, with Mada card transactions totaling SR29.3 billion 鈥� clear evidence of expanding domestic demand and growing consumer confidence in digital platforms.

Notably, non-cash transactions surpassed the Vision 2030 target of 70 percent, reaching 79 percent last year 鈥� a milestone achievement reflecting deep behavioral and structural shifts in Saudi finance.

SAMA鈥檚 ongoing initiatives are expected to sustain this digital momentum. Key developments include authorizing the use of Visitor IDs to open bank accounts, enabling Google Pay transactions through the Mada network, licensing the new digital 鈥淓Z Bank鈥� with SR2.5 billion in capital, launching a modernized e-commerce payments interface, and updating credit card issuance and operation regulations. Collectively, these steps demonstrate a firm commitment to advancing digital financial services and expanding financial inclusion.

Still, the sector faces emerging challenges. The growing divergence between loan and deposit growth could pressure banks鈥� funding structures. Rapid digital transformation demands continuous innovation, agility, and investment to stay ahead of new entrants 鈥� including an increasing number of licensed foreign and digital banks. Moreover, as interest rates trend downward, banks may experience narrower profit margins, requiring prudent balance sheet management.

Yet, based on my long experience in the Saudi banking sector, I remain confident that local banks are well-equipped to turn these challenges into opportunities 鈥� enhancing asset quality, profitability, and service excellence.

In conclusion, SAMA鈥檚 latest bulletin reinforces the Kingdom鈥檚 steady progress in strengthening financial stability, expanding digital payment infrastructure, and supporting economic resilience. The data reflect not only a thriving banking industry but also a broader national commitment to modernization, sustainability, and inclusive growth.

SAMA will continue to play a pivotal role in maintaining sectoral strength, mitigating risks, and ensuring that the financial system remains a cornerstone of 黑料社区鈥檚 economic transformation.

• Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. X: @Talathafiz