Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB; Arabic: البنك السعودي الأول) is a Riyadh-based Saudi joint stock company, with roots dating back over 90 years. The bank traces its origins to the British Bank of the Middle East which was acquired by HSBC in 1959. In response to restrictions on foreign ownership of banks in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arab British Bank (SABB) was created in 1978 to manage HSBC branches and assets in the country.

The bank operates as a corporate and institutional financial services provider and is licensed and regulated by the Saudi Central Bank. SAB offers a number of financial and banking services, including corporate banking, investment banking, private banking, and treasury services.

The bank was established following the merger of the Saudi British Bank (SABB) and Alawwal Bank, completed on March 14, 2021. The bank adopted its current name following the completion of the merger.^[4] The merger marked the first consolidation in the Saudi banking sector in two decades.^[5][6] As a result, SAB's paid-up capital increased to SAR 20.5 billion.^[7]

SAB maintains a strategic partnership with HSBC Group, which provides the institution with global expertise and connectivity.^[8] The bank operates over 100 branches across Saudi Arabia and an additional branch in London, England.

SAB has financed several large-scale projects in Saudi Arabia, including those aligned with the Vision 2030 reform agenda, such as NEOM and the Red Sea Project.^[9][10]

It began as a branch of the Netherlands Trading Society in 1926 to serve the Hajj pilgrims from the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, and operated out of one office in Jeddah. As it was the only bank in the Kingdom at the time, it acted as the central bank, keeping the Kingdom's gold reserves and receiving oil revenues on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government. In 1928, the Saudi Riyal, a new silver coin commissioned by King Abdulaziz, became the Kingdom's first independent currency. The Netherlands Trading Society office in Jeddah assisted the government with the launch of the local currency.

In 1954, the Netherlands Trading Society expanded its operations in the Kingdom by opening two additional branches, in Khobar and Dammam, in the Eastern Province.

In 1969, ABN Bank, the successor of the Netherlands Trading Society, was one of the first foreign banks to implement the Saudization initiatives set forth by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) and became the model for other foreign banks in the Kingdom. In 1977, the Saudi Hollandi Bank was established as a joint-venture company with a paid-up capital of SAR 35 million.

In 2009, the bank opened its new operations center, Al Waha, which houses the bank's centralised operations functions and the SHB Academy. Also, in 2009, SHB was the first bank in the Kingdom to deploy the automated Teller Cash Recycling machines (TCR), which were introduced to enhance the Open Branch concept, allowing direct contact between the bank's employees and customers.

At the end of June 2010, the bank's paid-up capital amounted to SAR 3,307 million. Saudi Hollandi Bank employs 1,417 staff with a Saudization ratio of over 87.44% and operates 43 branches, 15 Lady's Sections, 30 Preferred Banking Centres, and 246 ATMs providing banking services throughout the Kingdom.

In June 2011, Saudi Hollandi Bank launched the first Mastercard world credit card with a silver mark in the Middle East.

According to a statement, in November 2016, Saudi Hollandi Bank changed its name to Alawwal Bank as part of a new corporate identity that will be rolled out over the next three months. Alawwal, meaning “The First” in Arabic, refers to the bank’s status as the first to launch in the country in 1926.^[11]

The British Bank of Iran and the Middle East, which became British Bank of the Middle East (BBME), opened branches in Jeddah and Khobar in 1950. The Jeddah branch in particular depended for its profits on the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) acquired BBME in 1959.

In 1976 the central bank enacted its sweeping policy of banking sector Saudization to address foreign banks' domination of the sector and its impact on the Saudi economy. Consequently, it directed all foreign bank branches to incorporate in Saudi Arabia (i.e., become Saudi companies with Saudi capital) and limited their parent companies to ownership of forty percent of these new entities. ^[12]

As a result, HSBC was incorporated in Saudi Arabia in 1978 and opened up to local ownership, renaming itself the Saudi Arab British Bank (SABB). Ownership became 60% Saudi and 40% HSBC, and HSBC has a technical services agreement with the bank.^[13][14]

HSBC Holdings of Britain held a 49% stake in the joint venture with SABB holding 51% until October 2019 when HSBC Group acquired shares from SABB to become the major shareholder with a 51% stake. ^[15]

On May 16, 2018, SAB, formerly known as SABB, and Alawwal Bank (formerly Saudi Hollandi Bank) entered into a non-binding agreement on a deal for SABB to acquire Alawwal. The agreement concluded nearly one year of negotiations, and SABB was represented by U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs in the transaction.^[16] Alawwal Bank, as per agreement,ceased to exist as a legal entity and was absorbed into SABB, creating Saudi Arabia's third largest bank with a market cap of $17.2 billion.^[17]

SABB shareholders owned 73 percent of the new bank, which is chaired by Saudi businesswoman Lubna Al Olayan.^[18][19] The final agreement on the merger deal was announced one week after the Saudi government launched the Financial Sector Development Program, an executive program aimed at overhauling the Saudi financial sector to create an effective capital market capable of supporting the goals of the Vision 2030 economic reform plans.^[6]

The merger of the two banks was completed on 16 June 2019.^[20] The integration of the two banks was planned to be completed in about 18 months.^[21]

The integration was completed in 18 months,^[22] which resulted in the retention of the brand name "Saudi British Bank".^[23][24]

On 14 March 2021, Alawwal & SABB fully integrated in historic bank merger.^[25] The combined bank uses HSBC's familiar hexagon logo and typeface in its branding.

In 2023, SAB inaugurated a green-certified headquarters in Riyadh, designed to meet sustainability criteria. The building features energy-efficient systems, water-saving technologies, and eco-friendly materials, contributing to reduced carbon emissions and resource use. This initiative is part of the bank’s efforts to minimize its environmental impact and align with national and global sustainability goals.

SAB offers services in investment banking, commercial banking, private banking and Islamic banking. SAB Islamic Financial Solutions (Arabic: الحلول المالية الإسلامية), which are part of SAB services, are regulated by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency and a Sharia Supervisory Committee. This ensures that SAB Islamic Financial Solutions conforms to strict adherence to the principles of Sharia.^[26]

In August 2011, Fitch Ratings gave SAB's long-term issuer default rating (IDR) at “A” with a stable outlook as well as The Viability Rating (VR) has also been affirmed at “A”.^[27]

In October 2018, in anticipation of its pending merger with Alawwal Bank, Moody’s reaffirmed local and foreign currency deposit ratings of SAB at A1/P-1 and Alawwal Bank at A3/P-2, respectively.^[3]

• HSBC Bank Middle East
• British Arab Commercial Bank
• Abdullah Mohammed Al-Hugail
• List of companies of Saudi Arabia
• List of banks in Saudi Arabia

• Official website
• HSBC Peru Archived 2009-02-23 at the Wayback Machine