Sudanese Pound Devalued by 19% as Banks Freed to Set Rates

Sudanese authorities have decided to unify the exchange rate of the Sudanese pound, weeks after the currency’s value began to slip again on the black market. (Getty Images)
Sudanese authorities have decided to unify the exchange rate of the Sudanese pound, weeks after the currency’s value began to slip again on the black market. (Getty Images)
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Sudanese Pound Devalued by 19% as Banks Freed to Set Rates

Sudanese authorities have decided to unify the exchange rate of the Sudanese pound, weeks after the currency’s value began to slip again on the black market. (Getty Images)
Sudanese authorities have decided to unify the exchange rate of the Sudanese pound, weeks after the currency’s value began to slip again on the black market. (Getty Images)

Sudanese banks were selling dollars at a rate of 530 pounds on Tuesday, a drop of about 19% from the previous rate, after authorities moved to counter a slide in the value of the pound on a resurgent black market.

The central bank said on Monday that banks and currency exchanges would set their own exchange rates without central bank intervention. An emergency economic committee under Sudan's ruling council had said official and black market exchange rates would be unified.

Both the Bank of Khartoum, Sudan's largest bank, and the Saudi Sudanese Bank, had set a rate of 530 pounds to the dollar on Tuesday morning, from about 445 pounds previously, a Reuters reporter said. Other banks set similar rates.

The dollar was trading at around 560 pounds on the parallel market.

Sudan's economy has come under renewed pressure since substantial international support was suspended following a military coup in late October.

The military dissolved a civilian government that had carried out rapid economic reforms, including a sharp devaluation of the pound under a "managed float" policy in February 2021.

After that devaluation, the exchange rate had held steady for several months, and the black market had all but disappeared before it began to resurface in recent weeks.



Positive Outlook for Saudi Stock Market Next Week

A trader monitors the screen at the Saudi Exchange in Riyadh. (AFP)
A trader monitors the screen at the Saudi Exchange in Riyadh. (AFP)
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Positive Outlook for Saudi Stock Market Next Week

A trader monitors the screen at the Saudi Exchange in Riyadh. (AFP)
A trader monitors the screen at the Saudi Exchange in Riyadh. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) ended the second week of March with a slight decline for the third consecutive week, closing down 0.73% at 11,725.88 points, compared to the previous week's close of 11,811.11 points.

In an analysis of the market performance during the week ending March 13, Dr. Suleiman Al-Humaid Al-Khalidi, a financial market analyst, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the market experienced a sharp decline not seen in years, coinciding with a drop in global markets, particularly in the US, where $2 trillion in value was wiped out in a single day.

This accounted for roughly 60% of the total market value of the Saudi stock market.

Al-Khalidi noted that the key player in the Saudi market is the banking sector, especially Al-Rajhi Bank's shares, which showed resilience and did not follow the downward trend. This was attributed to the strong profits reported by the banking sector in 2024.

The primary factors contributing to the market’s decline include global economic pressures, particularly US tariffs on most global economies, ongoing global uncertainty, and the Federal Reserve's tight monetary policies, he explained.

These factors have significantly impacted liquidity flows into financial markets. Additionally, fluctuations in global oil prices, despite recent stability, have also played a role.

This downturn has been accompanied by caution among sovereign wealth funds, investment institutions, and some portfolios in injecting new liquidity or altering their positions until there is more clarity in the financial markets, he went on to say.

Moreover, Al-Khalidi said that the Saudi stock market has not accurately reflected the true strength and size of the Saudi economy, which has grown to SAR 4 trillion, up from SAR 600 billion in 2016, before the launch of Vision 2030.

Additionally, the country’s GDP has reached approximately $1.1 trillion.

Looking ahead to the market's performance in the coming week, he noted that there are strong support levels at 11,550 points, followed by 11,450 points.

These levels could help shift the market toward an upward trajectory and better reflect the robust growth of the Saudi economy.

Al-Khalidi emphasized that the banking and energy sectors could play a leading role in driving the market higher, pushing the index beyond this week’s closing levels.

He also pointed out that some stocks are hitting new lows, presenting significant investment opportunities for those seeking safe havens with steady returns in the Saudi market.