Arab banks during tranquil and turbulent times: A reflection of Arab economies

Abstract

Can Banks’ statistics, indicators, performance, and efficiency provide us with any indications about the causes of Arab Spring? This paper examines the 74 banks’ perspective on of Arab countries, where the Arab Spring occurred in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen, versus 241 banks in other fifteen Arab countries. The paper analyzed the aggregate balance sheet items and income statement entries as well as recent trends in total assets, deposits, equity, and net income growth. The paper also examines the evolution of 315 Arab banks over 14 years from 1997 to 2010 of many ratios including Asset quality, capital, operations, and liquidity, and financial soundness. The results show that the majority of banks in the five countries were below the average in their performance. Their ranking, regionally and globally, in terms of the size, performance, and efficiency were weak. The regional and world ranking of these banks gives a glance about the business atmosphere and the economic conditions at these five countries.