Dollar in Egypt rises to 53.18 pounds — The Rio Times
In Egypt, the official exchange rate of the national currency against the US dollar weakened to 53.18 pounds per dollar at the close of trading on October 14, 2026, the lowest level since May 19. According to the Central Bank of Egypt, the dollar buying rate was 53.04 pounds and the selling rate was 53.18 pounds.
As The Rio Times reports, the dollar was worth 52.90 pounds the previous day. Thus, the daily exchange-rate change amounted to about 0.5%. At the end of the day, the state-owned National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr sold dollars for 53.15 pounds, while the private Commercial International Bank set its selling rate at 53.18 pounds.
Government debt sales and demand for dollars
On October 14, foreign investors were net sellers of Egyptian Treasury bills worth 5.8 billion pounds, or approximately $109 million. Analysts cited by Egyptian media link pressure on the pound to increased demand for dollars due to more expensive energy resources, regional tensions, and higher yields on US bonds.
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Egypt imports more petroleum products than it exports. According to the source, the trade deficit in petroleum goods in the financial year ending in June increased by 31.5%. The weakening of the pound raises the cost of energy imports, which the country pays for in dollars.
Factors supporting the currency
At the same time, remittances from Egyptians abroad increased by 27.2% from January through August, to $33.9 billion, compared with $26.6 billion in the same period of 2025. Banking expert Mohamed Abdel Aal said that remittances and record tourism revenues are holding back a sharp exchange-rate decline. He expects the rate to fluctuate within the range of 52–53 pounds per dollar over the next two months.
On July 30, the International Monetary Fund completed the seventh review of Egypt's loan program, opening access for the country to approximately $1.5 billion in new financing. The Fund called on Cairo to maintain a flexible exchange rate and build up reserves, and also forecast inflation at 16.7% in the second half of 2026.
