By identifying potential weaknesses and fixing them – diversifying a previously oil-reliant economy and encouraging growth in the private sector – Saudi Arabia has managed to sustain a growing economy, even through times of economic and political turmoil.
Loans are up, deposits are growing and profits are healthy in Saudi Arabia's banks. But with growth opportunities in Islamic finance and a low proportion of home ownership in the country, there are still many more lucrative areas for these institutions to tap.