Bahrain banks post $9.7b rise in balance sheet

12 November 2007

Manama: The consolidated balance sheet of the banking system in Bahrain, made up of retail banks and wholesale banks, increased by $9.7 billion (4.6 per cent) to $222.4 billion at end-September, the Central Bank of Bahrain said yesterday.

The figure was $212.7 billion at end-June 2007 and compared with end-September 2006, the consolidated balance sheet of the banking system increased by 32.1 per cent.

Wholesale banks represented 79.8 per cent of the consolidated balance sheet, while retail banks accounted for 20 per cent, the CBB said.

Total domestic assets amounted to $34.7 billion at end-September compared with $31.2 billion at end-June, an increase of $3.5 billion (11.2 per cent)

Foreign assets

Foreign assets increased by $6.2 billion to $187.7 billion at end-September 2007, compared with $181.5 billion at end-June 2007. The net foreign assets increased by $1.3 billion at end-September 2007, to $8.5 billion, compared with $7.2 billion at end-June 2007.

According to the central bank, total domestic liabilities amounted to $43.2 billion at end-September 2007, compared with $38.4 billion at end-June 2007 while foreign liabilities increased by $4.9 billion (2.8%) to reach $179.2 billion at end-September 2007, compared with $174.3 billion at end-June 2007.

The consolidated balance sheet of the retail banks increased by 1,110.2 million Bahraini dinars, to 16938.3 million dinars at end-September 2007, compared with 15828.1 million dinars at end-June 2007 and compared with end-September 2006, the consolidated balance sheet of the retail banks increased by 125.3 per cent .

The total outstanding loans provided to residents by retail banks increased by 423.8 million dinars (12.3 per cent) to 3877.4 million dinars at end-September 2007, compared with 3453.6 million dinars at end-June 2007.

The sectoral distribution of total outstanding loans indicates that 58.5 per cent was in the form of business lending, while personal and government sectors accounted for 36.4 per cent and 5.1 per cent respectively.

By Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.