With the price of an ounce of gold reaching more than $5,200 globally, the yellow metal has returned to the forefront of the economic scene as one of the most important hedging and value-preserving tools for central banks, and Egypt’s gold reserves stand out as an important element within the foreign reserve system, especially in light of global economic fluctuations, tightening monetary policies, and rising geopolitical risks.
Gold reserves in Egypt in numbers
The size of the Central Bank of Egypt’s gold reserves is about 129.2 tons, with an estimated value of $20.8 billion, taking into account current international gold prices.
This number places Egypt among the list of the largest Arab countries in possession of gold, ahead of a number of regional economies, such as the UAE, Kuwait, Tunisia, and Morocco, which reflects a clear interest in enhancing safe assets within the monetary reserve.
Why is gold important to Egypt?
Gold represents one of the main pillars of any country’s foreign reserves, and its importance lies in several points:
A safe asset that is not directly affected by currency price fluctuations.
A hedging tool against inflation and global financial crises.
Strengthening confidence in the local economy and the country’s ability to confront shocks.
In the Egyptian case, the importance of gold is increasing in light of global economic challenges and the fluctuation of foreign exchange flows, which makes keeping a significant portion of the reserve in the form of gold a strategic option.
Quick Arabic comparison
Egypt ranks highly in the Arab world in terms of the value of gold reserves, but it is still behind countries such as:
Saudi Arabia: 321.1 tons, worth $51.6 billion
Lebanon: 286.8 tons, worth $46.1 billion
Algeria: 173.6 tons, worth $27.9 billion
Despite this, Egypt’s reserves are considered strong compared to the size of the economy and population, and reflect a deliberate diversification policy within the Central Bank.
Gold as global prices rise
The rise in gold prices globally is directly reflected in the dollar value of the reserves, even without increasing the actual quantities, which means that Egypt is currently benefiting from the wave of strong rise in prices, by enhancing the total value of its reserves of the precious metal at a time when expectations tend for gold to rise during 2026.
