Bahrain - National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has reported a 12 per cent increase in its net profit attributable to shareholders reaching BD18.2 million ($48.3m) for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025, compared to BD16.2m ($43m) in the same period of 2024.

The profitability performance was primarily attributable to higher net interest income driven by the group’s resilient balance sheet.

Earnings per share increased to 8 fils (2 cents) for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with 7 fils (2 cents) in the same period of 2024.

Total comprehensive income attributable to NBB’s shareholders for the quarter decreased by 15pc to BD16.7m compared to BD19.6m in the same period of 2024. The decrease is attributable to the negative mark-to-market movements of the bond portfolio.

NBB has reported a 4pc increase in its net profit attributable to the shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2025, reaching a record level of BD85.1m ($225.7m) compared to BD81.9m ($217.3m) for the year 2024. The increase reflects the group’s diversified non-interest revenue streams.

Earnings per share increased to 38 fils (10 cents) for the year compared with 36 fils (10 cents) in 2024.

Total comprehensive income attributable to NBB’s shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased by 9pc to BD82.7m compared with BD91m in 2024. The decrease is primarily attributable to the negative mark-to-market movements of the equity portfolio.

The group’s total equity attributable to shareholders increased to BD585m as of December 31 2025 compared to BD583.8m reported as of December 31, 2024.

The group’s total assets increased by 14pc during the year to BD6,276.6m compared to BD5,522.2m recorded on December 31, 2024 and was driven by the group’s core activities.

Following the group’s strong performance, the board of directors proposed a cash dividend of BD79m or 35pc per share equivalent to 35 fils, inclusive of 10pc interim dividends announced and paid during August 2025.

The appropriations are subject to the approvals of the regulatory authorities and the shareholders at the annual general meeting.

On the occasion, Hala Yateem, chairperson of NBB, said: “NBB concluded 2025 with record financial results, reporting an attributable net profit of BD85.1m – a 4pc increase over the previous year and the highest annual profit in the bank’s history. These results highlight our financial resilience, which sets us up for long-term growth and sustained value creation. With a return on average equity of 15pc and a proposed dividend distribution of 35pc for the year, we continue to deliver competitive returns to our shareholders.

“Beyond our financial achievements, we continued to embed ESG principles further across our operations and financing activities. As we enter 2026, we remain focussed on prudent governance and a clear strategic vision to deliver measurable impact for our shareholders, customers, and Bahrain.”

NBB Group chief executive officer Usman Ahmed commented: “We ended the year with an operating profit of BD93.4m, marking a 3pc rise over 2024. Our strong profitability was further supported by continued growth of our balance sheet, with total assets increasing by 14pc relative to year-end levels. Loans and advances and customer deposits grew by 6pc, reflecting sustained momentum across the group’s core banking activities.

“We continued to deepen our commitment to customer excellence, opening 6 SME across Bahrain, launching digital loan top-ups for our retail customers, introducing host-to-host connectivity for our corporate clients and introducing an AI assisted Chatbot for augmenting service.

“Our KSA and UAE businesses posted combined loan growth of 52pc as we strengthened our presence across diversified customer segments, industries, and solutions. Our employees contributed over 1,000 volunteering hours towards several educational and entrepreneurial programmes. We are committed to building upon our operational strengths and delivering excellence across every dimension of our business.”

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