Moody's Maintains Saudi Awwal Bank Rating on Banking Franchise, Profitability

12:21 AM EDT, 10/22/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Moody's affirmed the long-term local and foreign currency deposit ratings of Saudi Awwal Bank (SASE:1060) at A1, with an unchanged stable outlook. The rating agency said Wednesday the affirmation reflected the lender's baseline credit assessment, which is supported by its "well-established" corporate banking franchise and stable profitability, capitalization and liquidity buffers. Moody's also highlighted the improvement in the bank's asset quality. Meanwhile, the affirmed stable outlook indicates expectations that Saudi Awwal Bank's asset quality and profitability will continue to be resilient, while capital and liquidity buffers remain stable despite rising loans. The outlook also factored in expectations for the Saudi government.