GCC bank lending reaches record $2.59tn at end of Q2

RIYADH: Gross lending by 55 listed Gulf Cooperation Council banks reached a record $2.59 trillion at the end of the second quarter of 2026, rising 2.6 percent from the preceding three months and 11.6 percent year on year, according to Kamco Invest. The quarterly increase accelerated from 2.2 percent in the first quarter, with all six GCC markets recording growth. Net loans advanced 2.7 percent to $2.51 trillion, while Islamic banks increased financing by 3.3 percent, compared with 2.4 percent

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