National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) reported net profit of KD 324.8 million ($1.1 billion) for the first half of 2026, up 3% from KD 315.3 million a year earlier, the country's largest lender said in results released on 19 July. Second-quarter net profit rose 4.5% year on year to KD 189.3 million ($614.9 million) from KD 181.2 million.
Net operating income for the half increased 4.8% to KD 662.0 million from KD 631.4 million, reflecting what the bank described as sustained momentum in core banking activities across its business segments.
BALANCE SHEET EXPANDS
Total assets rose 5.9% year on year to KD 46.2 billion ($150.2 billion) at the end of June. Loans and advances grew 8.9% to KD 27.8 billion, and customer deposits increased 13.1% to KD 27.0 billion. Shareholders' equity stood at KD 4.5 billion, up 7.1%.
The non-performing loan ratio was 1.22% of gross loans, with NPL coverage of 256%, and the capital adequacy ratio was 17.0%.
DIVERSIFIED CONTRIBUTIONS
Group Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Isam J. Al-Sager said international operations had continued to contribute to revenue and profitability, and that Islamic banking subsidiary Boubyan Bank had continued to strengthen its contribution to group results. "The financial indicators for the first half of 2026 reflect the Group's strong operating performance and its success in delivering balanced growth across its various business segments," he said.
Chairman Hamad Al-Bahar said: "NBK's performance in the first half of 2026 reaffirms the Bank's ability to continue delivering sustainable growth, despite persistent global and regional uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical challenges weighing on the economic landscape."