Financial Services

Egypt’s capital market has been noticeably attracting foreign inflows since the floatation of the Egyptian pound in November 2016, which was part of the country’s economic reform programme agreement signed with the IMF under the $12bn extended fund facility. The currency devaluation was followed by 700 basis-point interest rate hikes, taking...

The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) is one of the oldest stock markets in the Middle East and can be traced back to 1883. It covers the main market, an over-the-counter market and the Nile Stock Exchange (Nilex), the last of which is a market for small and medium-sized enterprises. As of April 2020 there were 218 companies listed on the main market,...

The largest of its kind in North Africa, Egypt’s banking sector has also long been seen as one of the most stable in the region. Since 2010 the industry has overcome the challenges of political revolution, currency crises and an interest rate environment that has acted as a barrier to credit extension. While Egypt’s macroeconomic outlook at...

The first cryptocurrency transaction in history was feted in just two words: “Running Bitcoin”. This came in the form of a tweet on January 11, 2009 by Hal Finney, a US software developer. Some 10 years and over 1600 initial coin offerings later, the world of crypto-, virtual and other digital currencies looks to have provoked an active...

Higher interest rates following the flotation of the Egyptian pound in 2016 made it costly for businesses and individuals to obtain funding from Egyptian banks. The depreciation of the currency also raised input costs for businesses and reduced their ability to expand operations, thereby reducing demand for funding to cover capital expenditure...