The ratings on Saudi Arabia-based The National Commercial Bank (NCB) reflect Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' view of the bank's majority ownership by the Saudi government, leading domestic commercial position, strong liquidity, and solid revenue generating capacity and capitalization. Partly offsetting these positive factors are the bank's concentration risks in the lending book and funding base, exposure to market risk, and weakened operating environment. The long-term rating on NCB is two notches higher than the bank's stand-alone credit profile. This reflects Standard&Poor's expectation of strong likelihood of extraordinary government support if needed, given NCB's ownership structure and high systemic importance. We consider the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (AA-/Stable/A-1+) as "interventionist" toward its banking system. With total reported assets
