Net foreign assets of Egypt’s banking sector increase to $25.5B in December

CAIRO - 5 February 2026: Net foreign assets at Egypt’s banking sector, including the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and commercial banks, rose in December to about $25.5 billion, equivalent to LE 1.216 trillion, up from nearly $23.8 billion a month earlier.

 

Data showed that net foreign assets held by commercial banks operating in the local market increased to around $12.4 billion in December, compared with $11.8 billion in November 2025, reflecting stronger foreign currency positions.

 

Meanwhile, net foreign assets at the Central Bank of Egypt climbed to approximately $13.3 billion during December, up from $11.9 billion in the previous month.

 

Net foreign assets measure the gap between the banking sector’s foreign assets and its liabilities to non-residents, and are widely used as an indicator of the system’s external financial strength and liquidity.

 

By the end of last year, total foreign assets at the Central Bank of Egypt amounted to about $50.6 billion, underscoring an improvement in Egypt’s external buffers and the resilience of the banking sector.