Egypt's Net Foreign Assets Reach $31.2B, Highest Since January 2020
Central bank data show a $2.8 billion monthly gain in August, supported by remittances, reserves growth and continued foreign investment.
Tariq Benali Tariq Benali covers business and corporate news across the UAE and MENA for Anecdoted, tracking the deals, leadership moves and regulatory shifts behind the region's companies. tariq@anecdoted.com
Egypt's net foreign assets reached $31.2 billion in August 2026, their highest level since January 2020, as remittances kept dollars moving into the economy. Central bank data published Thursday put the monthly increase at about $2.8 billion, from $28.4 billion in July. The June reading was $27.97 billion.
Net foreign assets measure the gap between the foreign assets and foreign liabilities held by the central bank and the country's commercial banks. Commercial banks accounted for $12.4 billion of the August total. The central bank held $18.8 billion.
Remittances and reserves
Egyptians working abroad sent home $29.7 billion during the first seven months of 2026, a 28.1% increase from $23.2 billion in the same period a year earlier.
The country's net international reserves closed August at $57.2 billion, up from $56.3 billion at the end of July.
Foreign investment
Capital from regional and international investors has continued to arrive across energy, manufacturing and financial services. Egypt drew $15.5 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, ranking first in Africa for a fourth consecutive year and second among Arab countries, according to the World Investment Report 2026 from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. That report also counts Egypt among the countries attracting investment tied to the restructuring of traditional industries, and points to its position as an alternative manufacturing base, an industrial processing hub and a gateway to major markets.
The International Monetary Fund's July 2026 projections put net FDI at $12.4 billion for fiscal year 2025-26 and $11.8 billion for fiscal year 2026-27. Those estimates are tracked separately from the $35 billion Ras El-Hekma inflow recorded earlier, which sits outside both fiscal years.
Equities
Investor activity on the Egyptian Exchange has also strengthened. Total market capitalization of listed companies rebounded in 2025, rising more than 40% to $67.3 billion as of January 2026, according to a 2026 ranking of Egypt's 50 most valuable companies. The 50 largest listed firms represented $55.8 billion, roughly 83% of the exchange's total market value, while their combined market capitalization gained more than 48% over the preceding 12 months.
