Arab Bank PLC SWIFT/BIC code

ARABEGCX – the SWIFT/BIC code of Arab Bank PLC

The 8-character code ARABEGCX and the 11-character code ARABEGCXXXX identify one and the same institution: Arab Bank PLC, with its head office in Cairo. A BIC does one job: it ensures that an international payment reaches the right bank. You will need it mostly for transfers between countries or a currency.

On this page you will find what the code is put together, when you need it and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Arab Bank PLC. Remember that the SWIFT code only identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number takes care of that.

How up to date is this code?

The codes here are taken from public sources that we update regularly. Banks merge, change names and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Counts and locations are from our directory and may differ from what Arab Bank PLC publishes.

For any payment of any size, always check the code with Arab Bank PLC or with the recipient. GoldexPay is independent of Arab Bank PLC. Spotted outdated information? Tell us via our contact form.

When will the money arrive at Arab Bank PLC?

There is no single delivery time: many land within a day, others take several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often start the next business day. Compliance checks by one of the banks may also cause some delay, even when all details are correct.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Keep your transfer receipt until the money has arrived.

If the money does not arrive within the expected time, the sender should contact the bank that sent it rather than Arab Bank PLC. Ask the sender for the payment receipt – it helps your own bank look for the money.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Stay alert if a contact unexpectedly wants you to send money to a different account. That ARABEGCX is a real code is no guarantee that the account is genuine.

Always confirm a change of bank details by phone. Pressure and requests to keep it quiet are red flags. When a payment has already gone to the wrong account, call your bank right away – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Fraud can also target the receiver: someone claims to have sent more than agreed and asks you to refund the difference via a different route. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing; only your own account shows what has arrived.

How to check ARABEGCX before you pay

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have differs from ARABEGCX or ARABEGCXXXX, do not guess – contact the recipient or Arab Bank PLC.

Mistakes in the BIC are annoying more than fatal. Remember the account number: a mistake there can be harder to undo than a wrong BIC.

Most online banking apps check the format of IBANs and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now compare the payee name against the account before you confirm; take any warning seriously. For a first payment, some people send a small test amount.

ARABEGCX or ARABEGCXXXX – which one to use?

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. Combined, those parts make up ARABEGCX – the version you usually see online.

Many banks and apps accept either length. If yours requires eleven characters, enter ARABEGCXXXX; if it wants eight, use ARABEGCX.

Leave out spaces when you type ARABEGCX. Watch for O versus 0 or I versus 1.

Arab Bank PLC: head office code versus branch codes

Our directory lists 24 SWIFT/BIC codes for Arab Bank PLC. Besides the head office code ARABEGCXXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

Usually you do not need to pick a branch: payments addressed to ARABEGCXXXX are routed within Arab Bank PLC without problems. Branch codes are only needed when the recipient’s bank explicitly asks for it, which is more common for business accounts and specialised services.

The safest approach is to take the code straight from the recipient’s bank details. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired over time, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

What to give a sender who pays you at Arab Bank PLC

When you expect money from abroad, send the payer everything they need in one go. In practice that means: your full name as registered with Arab Bank PLC, your account number or IBAN, the BIC ARABEGCXXXX and, often, your postal address.

The sender’s bank might request the address of your bank, in which case the Cairo head office is the usual answer. A typo in your account number is more trouble than you might think; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

An incoming payment will not always land for the full amount. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, Arab Bank PLC may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

Sending money abroad from Arab Bank PLC

The price of a payment abroad is made up of several parts, and the transfer fee is only the most visible one. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate: the bank converts using an exchange rate that includes a margin. A simple test: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. On GoldexPay we compare what recipients receive across providers, so you can pick the cheapest route. You can still use your account at Arab Bank PLC to fund the transfer.