CAIRO, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the combined fifth and sixth reviews of Egypt's economic reform program, unlocking about 2.27 billion U.S. dollars in fresh financing, the Egyptian government said on Thursday.
The approval enables Egypt to immediately draw around 2 billion dollars under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and 273 million dollars under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), according to the government.
The program, which began in Dec. 2022, will ultimately provide Egypt with 8 billion dollars under EFF, alongside the 1.3-billion-dollar RSF arrangement. The latest disbursement brings total funding under both arrangements to about 5.2 billion dollars.
In a statement after its board meeting on Wednesday, the IMF praised improvements in Egypt's macroeconomic conditions, noting that real GDP growth accelerated to 4.4 percent in the fiscal year 2024-2025, which ended in June.
Meanwhile, inflation dropped sharply to 11.9 percent in Jan. 2026, supported by tight monetary and fiscal policies, said the IMF.
The current account deficit narrowed to 4.2 percent of GDP in the fiscal year 2024-2025, reflecting strong remittances and tourism revenues, the IMF added.
The global lender also noted improved market confidence, highlighted by successful external bond issuances, foreign direct investment inflows, and record non-resident inflows into domestic debt markets.
Egypt's most recent disbursement under the program was 1.2 billion dollars in April 2025. ■