Egypt Daily News – Egypt News.
The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) will raise the annual returns on two versions of its fixed-rate Platinum Certificate by one percentage point, with the new rates taking effect on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The certificate paying returns monthly will offer 18.75% annually, while the option paying quarterly will offer 18.85%.
Mohamed El-Etreby, the bank’s chief executive, said the change was approved by the NBE’s Asset and Liability Committee, known as ALCO. Customers will be able to buy the certificates at the updated rates through the bank’s branches and digital applications from the effective date.
Before the increase, the monthly-payment certificate offered an annual return of 17.75%, while the quarterly-payment version paid 17.85%. The new rates maintain a difference of 0.10 percentage points between the two options, with the quarterly certificate paying the higher annual rate.
The products offer customers a choice between receiving returns more frequently or earning a slightly higher annual rate with payments every three months. The change applies to the two fixed-return Platinum Certificates described in the announcement; it does not state that other NBE savings products have been repriced.
What the new rates mean for EGP 100,000
Based on the announced annual rates, an investment of EGP 100,000 in the monthly-payment certificate would generate EGP 18,750 a year. Divided into 12 payments, that is EGP 1,562.50 per month.
The same amount invested in the quarterly-payment certificate would generate EGP 18,850 over a year. With four payments annually, each quarterly payment would be EGP 4,712.50.
The quarterly option therefore produces EGP 100 more in annual returns for every EGP 100,000 invested, using the stated rates. The monthly option, meanwhile, provides income in smaller, more frequent payments. These examples are calculations based on the annual rates and do not account for any individual account terms or changes that may apply under the bank’s certificate conditions.
The bank’s announcement does not provide additional details about the certificates’ full terms, such as their maturity period, minimum purchase amount, eligibility rules or early-redemption conditions. Customers considering either product would need to consult the bank’s terms for those details.
Rate increase follows central bank decision
The NBE’s adjustment comes after the Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee raised key interest rates by one percentage point at its meeting on October 29, 2026.
Following that decision, the overnight deposit rate rose to 20%, while the overnight lending rate increased to 21%. The rate for the central bank’s main operation and the credit and discount rate both reached 20.5%.
The central bank said the increase was intended to anchor inflation expectations and preserve a downward path for inflation amid an unfavorable external environment and heightened uncertainty. The NBE’s change is a separate decision by the commercial bank’s ALCO on its own savings products.
Changes in central bank rates can influence the returns banks offer on deposits and savings instruments, although each bank makes decisions about its products through its own processes. In this case, the NBE announced a one-percentage-point rise in the returns on the two fixed-rate certificates, effective just over a week after the central bank’s October meeting.
For savers, the main distinction between the certificates is the timing and size of payments. The monthly option offers more regular access to returns, while the quarterly option pays every three months and carries a slightly higher annual rate. On an EGP 100,000 investment, the difference between their stated annual returns is EGP 100.
The updated rates will be available from November 8 through NBE branches and the bank’s electronic applications, according to El-Etreby. Until that date, the previously stated rates are 17.75% for monthly payments and 17.85% for quarterly payments.
