Citi deepens Saudi bet after arranging $40 billion for clients

Citi says it has helped Saudi clients raise more than $40 billion so far this year, a measure of its role arranging financing rather than necessarily lending the money itself. Separately, the US bank has lifted the amount of Saudi risk it is prepared to take onto its own balance sheet since the US-Iran war began, after raising its internal exposure limits. That distinction matters: arranging a bond or share sale mainly connects a client to investors, while greater direct exposure means Citi is willing to put more of its own capital at risk. The bank did not provide a transaction-by-transaction breakdown, but the two moves underline that Saudi Arabia remains a priority growth market for Citi despite regional disruption.