The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) reported that outstanding credit facilities extended to the top 100 corporate borrowers across the public and private sectors reached EGP 1.4trn in March 2025, reflecting a growth rate of 27.7%, compared to 41.8% in March 2024.
According to the CBE, six key sectors accounted for 74% of total outstanding credit facilities as of March 2025 and contributed 75.4% to the growth in the top 100 borrowers’ credit portfolio.
The construction sector captured the largest share at 23.2%, compared to 37.4% a year earlier, recording a growth rate of 35.3%. The petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemicals sector followed with 17.2%, while real estate development represented 10.3%. The non-banking financial services sector accounted for 8.7%, iron and steel for 7.4%, and telecommunications and information technology for 7.1%.
In a related context, the CBE revealed that the number of systemically important banks in Egypt rose to five in March 2025, up from four a year earlier. These banks collectively hold 68.7% of the sector’s total assets and 70% of its loan portfolio. They also account for 65.7% of total deposits and contribute around 65.8% of the sector’s net profits.
The CBE emphasised that these banks continue to maintain strong financial soundness indicators and have built additional capital buffers to mitigate systemic risks.
Systemically important banks are identified based on multiple criteria, including their size, interconnectedness with other domestic banks, the availability of substitutes for their financial services, and the complexity and sophistication of their operations.
