RIYADH: Commercial bank assets across the Gulf Cooperation Council rose to more than $3.9 trillion at the end of 2025, up 11.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the bloc’s Secretary-General. 

Bank deposits increased 10.6 percent year-on-year to $2.3 trillion, while net foreign assets held by GCC central banks climbed 10.5 percent to $842 billion, reflecting continued liquidity growth across the region’s financial system. 

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi presented the figures at the 86th Meeting of the Committee of Central Bank Governors in Manama, saying sustained economic strength depends on closer policy coordination among member states. 

The balance sheet growth comes as listed Gulf banks reported record third-quarter profits. GCC banks posted a combined $16.6 billion in net income in the third quarter of 2025, up 11.6 percent from a year earlier and marking a third consecutive quarterly increase, according to a Kamco Invest report in December, as credit conditions improved across the region. 

Al-Budaiwi noted that “this path has been adopted by the GCC states as a steadfast approach and an unwavering commitment in all fields, especially within the monetary and banking sectors,” according to a press release. 

He highlighted the swift transformations occurring in the world economy against a backdrop of successive political crises. “This necessitated enhancing the readiness of economic and monetary policies and taking measures to address these variables and mitigate their impacts,” Al-Budaiwi said at the gathering. 

The meeting was chaired by Central Bank of Bahrain Governor Khalid Ebrahim Humaidan and attended by central bank governors from across the six-member bloc.

Al-Budaiwi emphasized that the GCC states have proven their ability to remain resilient and overcome various crises with efficiency and competence, making it imperative to enhance the responsiveness of economic and monetary policies and implement measures to address fluctuations. 

Turning to the bloc’s standing on the world stage, Al-Budaiwi asserted that the GCC nations have solidified their position as reliable international economic partners due to the robustness of their economies, the stability of their fiscal and monetary policies, and the effectiveness of their institutional structures. 

In his concluding remarks, the tofficial noted that these indicators offer clear confirmation of the strength and resilience of the banking and monetary sectors within the member states.

At the same time, he said, they powerfully illustrate the critical importance of continued coordination and integration among the GCC nations in this essential field.