Foreign exchange reserves are among the key indicators of the strength of national economies, as they reflect a country’s ability to meet its external obligations, protect its local currency, and absorb economic and financial shocks. As 2025 begins, data from central banks show clear disparities among Arab countries in the size of these reserves, reflecting differences in their economic models, sources of income, and levels of political stability.

Saudi Arabia in the Lead
Saudi Arabia leads the list of Arab countries with the largest foreign exchange reserves, at around $463 billion. This substantial figure is driven by oil revenues, the scale of exports, and the prudent fiscal and monetary policies the Kingdom has pursued in recent years, giving it a wide margin to withstand energy price fluctuations and global disruptions.

UAE: Financial power and economic diversification
In second place comes the United Arab Emirates, with reserves estimated at about $256.9 billion. This figure reflects the success of its diversified economic model, particularly in trade, services, tourism, and finance, alongside its role as a regional and global hub for business and investment.

Iraq and Libya: Resource wealth despite challenges
Iraq ranks third with reserves of $112 billion, benefiting mainly from oil revenues, despite ongoing political and economic challenges that continue to affect financial stability.
Libya follows in fourth place with around $99 billion, a notable figure relative to the size of its economy, reflecting the accumulation of past oil revenues despite political division and institutional instability.

Qatar: Reserves backed by energy and investment
Qatar ranks fifth with reserves estimated at $71.7 billion, supported by liquefied natural gas revenues, as well as its sovereign investments abroad, which are a key pillar of its financial strength.

Egypt: Reserves under pressure
In sixth place, Egypt holds foreign exchange reserves of about $50.2 billion. While this amount is important for supporting the stability of the Egyptian pound and financing imports, it remains under pressure due to rising external debt costs, inflation challenges, and periodic declines in hard currency inflows.

What the figures show
These numbers highlight a clear gap between energy-exporting Arab economies and those more dependent on imports and services. They also show that foreign exchange reserves are no longer just figures on central bank balance sheets, but a strategic tool for safeguarding monetary stability, boosting investor confidence, and confronting global geopolitical and economic crises.

Ultimately, in 2025, the map of foreign exchange reserves in the Arab world confirms that financial strength is closely linked to economic diversification, sound resource management, and political stability. While some countries enjoy wide safety buffers, others remain under constant pressure to strengthen their reserves and turn them into a driver of sustainable development, rather than merely a temporary line of defense against crises.