SNB Begins Transferring Customers’ Accounts to New Bank

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



Gold Jumps after Cooling US Jobs Report Boosts Rate Cut Hopes

Marked ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a cart at the Krastsvetmet non-ferrous metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
Marked ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a cart at the Krastsvetmet non-ferrous metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
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Gold Jumps after Cooling US Jobs Report Boosts Rate Cut Hopes

Marked ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a cart at the Krastsvetmet non-ferrous metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
Marked ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a cart at the Krastsvetmet non-ferrous metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold prices hit their highest in over two weeks on Friday as Treasury yields and the dollar declined after data showed US economy created fewer jobs than expected in July, boosting hopes of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year, Reuters reported.

Spot gold was up 0.8% at $2,464.32 per ounce as of 1320 GMT, just $19 shy of the record peak of $2,483.60 scaled on July 17. US gold futures climbed 1% to $2,506.60.

"The drop in yields along with the reaffirmation that there is a cut in September just makes gold a lot more attractive," said Alex Ebkarian, chief operating officer at Allegiance Gold.

US 10-year yields dropped to their lowest since December and the dollar hit its lowest since March after data showed that employers added fewer jobs in July than economists had forecast, while the unemployment rate increased to 4.3%.

The data follows comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell who on Wednesday said that rates could be cut as soon as September if the US economy follows its expected path.

Gold has gained 3.2% so far this week, on track for its best week since April, as rising safe-haven demand from Middle East tensions and expectations of rate cuts made the metal more appealing for investors.

Bullion is traditionally considered a hedge against geopolitical and economic risks, and lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding the asset.

"The marketplace just now is factoring in a better-than-70% chance for a 50-basis-point cut by the Fed at the September FOMC meeting," said Jim Wyckoff, senior market analyst at Kitco Metals in a note.

Elsewhere, spot silver added 1.2% to $28.88 per ounce, platinum rose 1.3% to $971.20 and palladium dropped 0.4% to $901.82. All three metals were headed for weekly gains.