SNB Begins Transferring Customers’ Accounts to New Bank

Saudi National Bank (SNB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi National Bank (SNB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

SNB Begins Transferring Customers’ Accounts to New Bank

Saudi National Bank (SNB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi National Bank (SNB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Samba Financial Group, which recently merged with the National Commercial Bank, began transferring customers' accounts to the new National Bank of Saudi Arabia, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The transfer will be done gradually, and it will not affect the customer’s operations, as all clients will be contacted regarding their accounts and the monthly wages of employees.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Samba Financial Group informed its clients of the procedure. The group will contact them upon the transfer completion to start activating their accounts following simple steps online or by visiting the nearest SNB branch. They will then receive a ‘Mada” card which will be activated via SMS.

Last year, the Saudi National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Samba Financial Group (Samba) announced the completion of the biggest merger in the Middle East to create a new Saudi banking champion and a regional powerhouse, Saudi National Bank (SNB).

Saudi National Bank is the largest bank in Saudi Arabia with a 30 percent market share across all metrics. It has over $239 billion in total assets, $34 billion in shareholders’ equity, and a combined net profit of $4.2 billion.

The new bank began trading as a single listed entity on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) on April 1, while Samba shares had been de-listed, and all its assets, liabilities, and operations transferred into the Saudi National Bank, which will continue to honor Samba’s obligations going forward.

It is noteworthy that the Saudi National Bank appointed Ammar al-Khudairy as chairman and Yazeed al-Humied as vice chairman of the new company’s board.

The decision also included the appointment of Saeed al-Ghamdi as Managing Director and CEO of the Bank.



OPEC+ Sticks to Oil Policy

The online joint ministerial monitoring committee meeting (JMMC) held on Thursday. Photo: OPEC on X
The online joint ministerial monitoring committee meeting (JMMC) held on Thursday. Photo: OPEC on X
TT

OPEC+ Sticks to Oil Policy

The online joint ministerial monitoring committee meeting (JMMC) held on Thursday. Photo: OPEC on X
The online joint ministerial monitoring committee meeting (JMMC) held on Thursday. Photo: OPEC on X

A meeting of top OPEC+ ministers has kept oil output policy unchanged including a plan to start unwinding one layer of output cuts from October, and repeated that the hike could be paused or reversed if needed.
Several ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, or OPEC+ as the group is known, held an online joint ministerial monitoring committee meeting (JMMC) on Thursday.
OPEC+ is currently cutting output by a total of 5.86 million barrels per day, or about 5.7% of global demand, in a series of steps agreed since 2022 to bolster the market amid uncertainty over global demand and rising supply outside the group.
In a statement after Thursday's meeting, OPEC+ said the members making the most recent layer of cuts - a 2.2 million bpd voluntary cut until September - reiterated that its gradual phase-out could be paused or reversed, depending on market conditions.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday the current level of oil prices was comfortable for Russia, its budget, and other participants in the market. Supply and demand remained in balance, he added.
Algeria's Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab said uncertainties affecting oil markets were unlikely to continue for much longer, as long as the market remains adequately supplied.
Oil demand, he added, was expected to follow a sustained upward trend in the coming weeks.
OPEC+ agreed at its last meeting in June to phase out the 2.2 million bpd cut over the course of a year from October 2024 until September 2025. It also agreed then to extend earlier cuts of 3.66 million bpd until end-2025.
Soon after that, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said OPEC+ could pause or reverse the production hikes if it decided the market is not strong enough.

Thursday's meeting also noted assurances from Iraq, Kazakhstan and Russia made during the meeting to achieve full conformity with pledged output cuts, the statement said. Those countries had earlier delivered plans to compensate for past overproduction.
An OPEC+ source said the chair of the meeting was insisting that members show commitment to the compensation plan.