Trending:US-Isarel-Iran warT20 World CupDubai-Abu Dhabi updatesAir travel chaosLunar eclipseYoung Sherlock reviewadvertisementIran crisis casts shadow over Asian banks’ record Gulf lending spree: ReportFP Business Desk • March 3, 2026, 14:07:43 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitteradvertisementThe multibillion-dollar surge in loans by Asian banks to the Middle East is facing fresh uncertainty as Iran’s escalating conflict with the US and Israel raises the risk of wider financial fallout and disrupts capital flows to the GulfAdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleIran crisis casts shadow over Asian banks’ record Gulf lending spree. File image/APThe multibillion-dollar surge in loans by Asian banks to the Middle East is facing fresh uncertainty as Iran’s escalating conflict with the US and Israel raises the risk of wider financial fallout and disrupts capital flows to the Gulf. Asian and Chinese banks, which have emerged as the Gulf’s largest financiers in recent years, extended more than $15 billion in loans to the region in 2025, a record high and nearly triple the previous year, according to Bloomberg-compiled data. Much of that capital flowed into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, funding energy, infrastructure and diversification projects. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThat momentum is now under scrutiny as the Iran crisis threatens to reshape lending strategies and complicate risk assessments for banks that have aggressively expanded in the region. More from Business Super-rich fleeing Gulf on private jets, shell out up to $350,000 as Iranian strikes hit key cities First passenger flight takes off from Abu Dhabi after Iran distances itself from Gulf strikesTrump signals prolonged military readinessAdding to market anxiety, US President Donald Trump said Washington has a “virtually unlimited” supply of weapons as tensions rise in West Asia following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said US munitions stockpiles at the “medium and upper medium grade” had “never been higher or better”, adding that wars could be fought “forever” and “very successfully” using existing supplies.
