# Banks



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Just been shown today an sms from my friends bank.. the HSBC telling him that from today all customers will only be allowed to withdraw $1000 twice monthly.


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## tgrear2008 (Jan 22, 2012)

I was able to withdraw $1800 today. Then asked the rules about changing from LE to $. It can be done with proof of impending travel, payment for school fees, or medical bills. You can do $1000 per day up to 5 times per month. This was told to me at the Maadi Grand Mall Branch Thursday Feb 28.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

tgrear2008 said:


> I was able to withdraw $1800 today. Then asked the rules about changing from LE to $. It can be done with proof of impending travel, payment for school fees, or medical bills. You can do $1000 per day up to 5 times per month. This was told to me at the Maadi Grand Mall Branch Thursday Feb 28.




Well I will tell my friend to use that branch and not Zamalek..


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## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

A friend whose daughter is studying in the States told me her daughter was only able to withdraw $200 last time, as opposed to the previous limit of $1,000 (she's with CIB)


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## SunshineBarley (Jun 24, 2011)

MaidenScotland said:


> Just been shown today an sms from my friends bank.. the HSBC telling him that from today all customers will only be allowed to withdraw $1000 twice monthly.


Forgive me for being completely dumb but why would you want to withdraw $ in a country where the currency is Le.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

SunshineBarley said:


> Forgive me for being completely dumb but why would you want to withdraw $ in a country where the currency is Le.




A lot of business here is conducted in dollars. Rents have to be paid in dollars, bills are issued in dollars.. dollars are king,


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Plus of course if you are travelling overseas you need dollars..


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## SunshineBarley (Jun 24, 2011)

MaidenScotland said:


> A lot of business here is conducted in dollars. Rents have to be paid in dollars, bills are issued in dollars.. dollars are king,


Have always paid my rent in Le and everything I buy I pay for in Le, maybe thats where the country is going wrong, needs to use its own currency instead of one that is American (lol)

Thanks though for letting me know that I am actually living in Ameregypt ha ha !!


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## hurghadapat (Mar 26, 2010)

SunshineBarley said:


> Have always paid my rent in Le and everything I buy I pay for in Le, maybe thats where the country is going wrong, needs to use its own currency instead of one that is American (lol)
> 
> Thanks though for letting me know that I am actually living in Ameregypt ha ha !!


 work

Working in dollars is very much a Cairo thing....Hurghada works in either Egyptian pounds or Euros..Sah..


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

SunshineBarley said:


> Have always paid my rent in Le and everything I buy I pay for in Le, maybe thats where the country is going wrong, needs to use its own currency instead of one that is American (lol)
> 
> Thanks though for letting me know that I am actually living in Ameregypt ha ha !!




Dollars or hard currency is needed for the country to import plus pay loans .. the Egyptian pound is not what is called hard currency and quite simply no one outside of Egypt wants it.
Ships using the Suez Canal are billed in dollars. 

I bet if you asked your landlord if he wanted dollars instead of EGP he would take it. 

The same goes for any private shop you use they will accept dollars/euros/sterling. 

I pay my doctor in Sterling. 

You cannot use EGP in casinos, you must buy chips with hard currency.


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## paolop (Jun 15, 2012)

Had real trouble getting my salary yesterday as am paid in sterling and there just isn't any around. Managed to get some Euros on the black market and cleared my bank account of Egyptian pounds which are now about as much use as used toilet paper


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