Biggest Saudi Arabia Bank Starts Talks to Create Mega Lender

  • National Commercial Bank starts talks with Riyad Bank
  • A deal would create a bank with $182 billion in assets
The Kingdom Tower, operated by Kingdom Holding Co., right, stands on the skyline above the King Fahd highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
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National Commercial Bank, Saudi Arabia’s biggest lender, started initial talks with Riyad Bank for a merger, a deal that would create the Gulf’s third-biggest lender with $182 billion in assets.

Talks may not result in a transaction, National Commercial Bank said in a statement. The lender said it has coordinated the move with the central bank and that a deal isn’t expected to result in forced dismissal of staff.