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Sabb

Can a HSBC-affiliated Saudi bank fully digitalize its Islamic banking product suite to compete with Saudi neobanks and retain corporate and retail market share?

Founded1978
HQRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
IndustryBank / National
The story

Sabb is a Saudi Arabian commercial bank with deep HSBC ties, serving retail, SME, and corporate customers under Saudi banking regulations. Its embedded finance evolution has focused on digitalizing traditional Islamic banking products — notably launching a Shariah-compliant supply chain finance solution for corporate clients. The bank operates as a fully licensed entity under SAMA supervision rather than relying on third-party BaaS infrastructure.

Last 12 months
2023-01
Product timeline
1978
Founded as The Saudi British Bank, a joint venture between HSBC and Saudi investors, to operate as a full-service commercial bank in Saudi Arabia.· banking
2019
Completed merger with Alawwal Bank (formerly Saudi Hollandi Bank), creating one of Saudi Arabia's largest banks by assets.· acquisition
2023
Launched a Shariah-compliant supply chain finance solution, expanding embedded trade finance capabilities for corporate customers.· lending
Regulated entities
National Bank Charter
Saudi Arabia (SAMA) · 1978
The Saudi British Bank (SABB)
The stack
Banking / BaaS
Saudi British Bank (SABB) (in-house)
Lending
Shariah-compliant supply chain finance
Accounting gap: none