Egypt to Return $3 Billion to Qatar By End of 2014

Deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi being brought into court at the police academy. Morsi was overthrown by the military on July 3, 2013., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Egypt to return $3 billion to Qatar by end of 2014

Ahram Online, Thursday 23 Jan 2014

By the end of 2014, Egypt's Central Bank will have returned to Qatar $6 billion of $7.5 billion in aid given during the Morsi presidency

Egypt’s Central Bank plans to return a total of $3 billion to Qatar by the end of 2014 as the bonds mature, reported Reuters Thursday.

The Central Bank is to return $500 million in October and $2.5 billion in November.

Qatar had backed Egypt with $7.5 billion during the year Muslim Brotherhood ousted president Mohamed Morsi was in power.

However, as Morsi was ousted following popular uprising on 30 June, 2013 Cairo's relations with Doha deteriorated.

By the end of 2013, Egypt returned $3 billion to Qatar as the bonds matured.

Central Bank Governor Hisham Ramez said last month that the move slightly influenced a decline in net international reserves.

Egypt's Central Bank is currently working on a stimulus package to boost the stuttering domestic housing sector through mortgage financing, particularly to help the construction of mid-level houses.

When the cash liquidity of Egypt's banking sector stands at a high and stable level, banks will do business and fund projects, Ramez said.

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