Egyptian banks began injecting additional cash into ATM networks across the country to meet rising demand for withdrawals ahead of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, according to a banking official familiar with the matter.
The official said banks operating in the local market are replenishing automated teller machines on a regular basis under a coordinated plan and directives issued by the Central Bank of Egypt to ensure uninterrupted access to cash during the holiday period.
The move comes as consumer demand for liquidity typically rises sharply ahead of major religious holidays, with households increasing spending on travel, food, gifts, and seasonal purchases.
Egypt’s banking sector currently operates a nationwide network of approximately 26,000 ATMs distributed across all governorates, providing customers with round-the-clock access to banking services and cash withdrawals seven days a week.
Banks traditionally intensify ATM replenishment operations before Eid holidays to avoid shortages and reduce pressure on branches, many of which operate with reduced working hours during public holidays.
The increased cash injections also reflect broader efforts by the banking sector to maintain service continuity and support consumer activity during one of the busiest spending seasons of the year in Egypt.
Concerns over cash shortages at ATMs intensified across Egypt ahead of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, as long queues formed outside cash machines and customers reported difficulties withdrawing money amid surging demand and technical disruptions.
Prominent television host Ahmed Mousa publicly criticized the situation, calling on the Central Bank of Egypt and commercial banks to intervene urgently.
“People are talking about the ATM crisis and citizens standing in front of cash machines without being able to access money,” Moussa said during his program. “With banks entering the holiday break, what are people supposed to do? This is a crisis that requires immediate action.”
He also pointed to reported outages affecting some banking applications, describing the issue as a widespread public complaint rather than isolated incidents.
“The problem must be solved today, not tomorrow,” he added. “People are standing in long lines in front of ATMs that have no cash. Citizens have obligations and Eid expenses, and there must be a rapid response.”
The comments came as banking officials acknowledged an unprecedented spike in cash withdrawals ahead of the holiday season.
Mohamed El-Etreby, who also heads the National Bank of Egypt, said customers withdrew nearly 9 billion Egyptian pounds from the bank’s ATM network over just two days — more than four times normal levels.
“Under ordinary circumstances, withdrawals average around 2 billion pounds,” El-Etreby said in televised remarks. “We have injected substantial amounts of cash into the machines.”
He noted that the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr together operate around 13,000 ATM machines nationwide, but acknowledged that unusually heavy demand had led to severe congestion at many locations.
Lawmakers and banking analysts also warned that the recurring pressure on Egypt’s ATM infrastructure is becoming increasingly problematic, particularly for pensioners and elderly citizens who rely heavily on cash withdrawals.
Member of Parliament Ashraf Saad urged banks and regulators to ensure continuous cash availability and accelerate the installation of additional ATM machines in densely populated areas and rural governorates.
“The scenes of people waiting in long lines only to discover machines are empty have become a repeated problem, especially before holidays,” he said during a television interview.
Banking expert Hany Abou El Fotouh said the pressure placed on ATM networks during holiday periods often leads to both cash shortages and technical malfunctions due to concentrated withdrawal activity within short periods.
He added that insufficient maintenance at some ATM locations further worsens service disruptions during peak seasons, despite Egypt’s banking sector operating more than 26,000 machines nationwide.
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