The Influence of Bank Governance on Improving the Financial Performance- An Empirical Study on the Banks Sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The study aimed to measure the impact of corporate governance on improving the financial performance in the banking sector in Saudi Arabia by measuring the impact of the profitability of Saudi banks، namely the profitability and liquidity indicators when applying governance. The analytical method was followed to achieve the objective of the study. The data of the financial statements were analyzed for the period 2010- 2017 to confirm six hypotheses related to measuring the existence of statistically significant differences between indicators of financial ratios before and after applying corporate governance. The results of the study showed that the liquidity indicators differ in 2010- 2013 (the accounting average of the cash balance ratio is 21%) from in 2014- 2017 (the accounting average of the cash balance ratio equals 18%)، which affected the rate of return achieved by the bank. The results also showed that excessive liquidity reduces profits، which is one of the Bank's most important objectives. Return on equity and return on assets were 4% and 1%، respectively، indicating that profitability is very low compared to high liquidity. The study recommended the need to promote the concept of corporate governance among all concerned parties and recommended the formation of specialized committees on governance in banks. Efforts should be made to adopt the concept of governance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through cooperation between different public and private sectors.