Central Bank of Sudan
Sudan's central bank, responsible for currency issuance, monetary policy, banking supervision, and financial-sector stability.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Central Bank of Sudan is the monetary authority of Sudan and the country's principal institution for currency issuance, monetary policy, banking regulation, and management of the national payments and financial system. It began operations in 1960, four years after Sudan became independent. Its creation followed the establishment of the Sudan Currency Board in 1957 and the adoption of the Law of the Bank of Sudan in 1959. The new institution consolidated the currency-board functions with the Sudanese operations of the National Bank of Egypt, which had maintained several branches in the country. The bank's conventional central-bank responsibilities include issuing and managing the Sudanese currency, maintaining domestic and external accounts, regulating commercial banks, supporting monetary stability, and influencing credit and interest-rate conditions. Its institutional role also reflects Sudan's distinctive Islamic-finance framework. After the introduction of Islamic law into the financial sector in 1984, banking practices were progressively adjusted to comply with Sharia principles. In 1993, the government created the Sharia High Supervisory Board to oversee compatibility between financial instruments and Islamic principles. Treasury bills and conventional government bonds were replaced or supplemented by Sharia-compliant financial certificates. The Central Bank of Sudan has also played a role in shaping the country's banking structure. Following the nationalization of banks in 1970, a number of foreign and domestic banking operations were reorganized under state direction, with several institutions renamed or merged. The bank participated in the creation of Nile Bank with Crédit Lyonnais in 1965, and its successor institution, Nilein Industrial Development Bank, later became partly privately owned after a 2006 investment by Dubai-based Emaar Properties and Amlak Finance. The central bank retained a minority stake in that institution after the transaction. Its policy agenda has included monetary stabilization, directed credit for priority sectors, support for public enterprises through commercial banks rather than direct central-bank financing, foreign-exchange lending under regulatory controls, and financial inclusion. The bank is a member of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. Its branch network historically extended across major Sudanese commercial and regional centers, including Khartoum, Wad Madani, Kosti, Atbara, Al Qadarif, Nyala, Al-Ubayyid, Dongola, Port Sudan, and Al-Fashir. The Juba branch became part of the Central Bank of South Sudan after South Sudan gained independence in 2011. The institution has been severely affected by the Sudanese civil war that began in 2023. Its Khartoum headquarters was damaged or destroyed during fighting, and a branch was hit during an attack in April 2023. The conflict disrupted banking operations, cash distribution, salaries, payment systems, and access to financial infrastructure across the country. In June 2023, the bank announced emergency measures intended to maintain liquidity and support salary payments and public access to cash. The headquarters was reported to have been retaken by the Sudanese Armed Forces in March 2025, and the bank reportedly resumed operations in Khartoum in January 2026. The conflict has also intensified concerns about currency management, gold smuggling, foreign-exchange reserves, and the physical security of the banking system.
History
The institutional foundations of Sudan's central banking system were laid shortly after independence. In 1957, the new Sudanese government established the Sudan Currency Board to manage monetary arrangements while a permanent central bank was being designed. A three-member commission of experts associated with the United States Federal Reserve worked with Sudanese officials and finance specialists on the legislation that became the Law of the Bank of Sudan in 1959. The Bank of Sudan began operations in 1960. The new bank was formed by combining the currency board's functions with the Sudanese operations of the National Bank of Egypt. Those operations included approximately seven branches and provided an initial physical and administrative network. From its earliest years, the institution therefore combined currency management with oversight of a developing commercial-banking sector. In 1965, the Bank of Sudan and Crédit Lyonnais established Nile Bank, also known as Al/An/El Nilein Bank. Crédit Lyonnais contributed two branches that had been established after its entry into Sudan in 1953, while the Bank of Sudan held 60 percent of the joint venture and Crédit Lyonnais held 40 percent. The nationalization of Sudan's banks in 1970 substantially changed the sector. Foreign-bank branches and other institutions were brought under state direction and renamed or reorganized. Barclays' large branch network became the State Bank of Foreign Trade and later Bank of Khartoum; Bank Misr's branches became People's Cooperative Bank; branches associated with Arab Bank became Red Sea Bank; a Commercial Bank of Ethiopia branch became Juba Commercial Bank; and National and Grindlays operations became Omdurman Bank. Further consolidation followed. Red Sea Bank and People's Cooperative Bank were merged into Omdurman Bank in 1973. Omdurman Bank later merged with Juba Commercial Bank in 1984 to create Unity Bank. In 1993, Nile Bank merged with the Industrial Bank of Sudan, producing Nilein Industrial Development Bank. In 2006, Dubai-based Emaar Properties and Amlak Finance acquired a 60 percent stake in that institution, while the Bank of Sudan retained 40 percent. The bank's role expanded as Sudan's financial system adopted Islamic principles. After the financial sector was brought into conformity with Sharia requirements in 1984, conventional instruments and operating practices were modified. In 1993, the government established the Sharia High Supervisory Board to review the compatibility of financial practices with Islamic principles. Government borrowing instruments such as conventional treasury bills and bonds were replaced by financial certificates structured to meet the applicable framework. During the Three Year Economic Program from 1990 to 1993 and subsequent policy periods, the bank pursued measures intended to revive economic activity while preserving monetary stability. Its stated policy priorities included directing finance toward economically important sectors, improving the use of banking resources, continuing social-support measures for poorer households, financing public corporations through commercial banks rather than direct central-bank lending, and permitting foreign-exchange finance under central-bank rules. Financial inclusion later became another policy area, and the institution joined the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. The bank historically operated a network of branches in major Sudanese cities and regional centers. The separation of South Sudan in 2011 changed this structure: the Juba branch became part of the newly established Central Bank of South Sudan. The Central Bank of Sudan continued to operate from Khartoum and maintain branches in places including Wad Madani, Kosti, Atbara, Al Qadarif, Nyala, Al-Ubayyid, Dongola, Port Sudan, and Al-Fashir. The civil war that began in April 2023 created the most severe operational crisis in the bank's history. Fighting damaged the Khartoum headquarters and other financial facilities. A rocket attack on a Khartoum branch was reported on 30 April 2023, while later reports described bombing and fire damage around the headquarters. The conflict disrupted cash distribution, salary payments, bank connectivity, and the wider financial system. On 16 June 2023, the bank announced emergency measures intended to preserve banking-sector liquidity and help citizens access cash. The headquarters was reported to have been retaken by the Sudanese Armed Forces in March 2025. Later reporting described a ban on private-sector gold exports in September 2025, the appointment of Amna Mirghani Hassan al-Toum as the first female governor in October 2025, and the resumption of operations in Khartoum in January 2026.
- 2026
Khartoum operations reportedly resume
[1]The bank was reported to have resumed operations in Khartoum after wartime displacement and damage.
- 2025
Khartoum headquarters reportedly retaken
[1]The Sudanese Armed Forces were reported to have regained control of the headquarters from the Rapid Support Forces.
- 2025
First woman appointed governor
[1]Amna Mirghani Hassan al-Toum was reported to have become the first woman to lead the institution.
- 2023
Civil war disrupts central-bank operations
[1]Fighting damaged the Khartoum headquarters and disrupted banking, payments, salary distribution, and access to cash.
- 2011
Juba branch transferred to South Sudan
[1]Following South Sudan's independence, the Juba branch became part of the Central Bank of South Sudan.
- 2006
Nilein bank stake sold to Dubai investors
[1]Emaar Properties and Amlak Finance acquired a majority stake in Nilein Industrial Development Bank, while the Bank of Sudan retained 40 percent.
- 1993
Sharia High Supervisory Board established
[1]A supervisory body was created to assess financial practices against Islamic principles.
- 1993
Nilein Industrial Development Bank created
[1]Nile Bank merged with the Industrial Bank of Sudan to form Nilein Industrial Development Bank.
- 1984
Banking sector shifts toward Islamic finance
[1]Sudan introduced Sharia-based requirements that substantially changed banking products and practices.
- 1970
Sudanese banks nationalized
[1]The government nationalized banks and reorganized several foreign and domestic institutions under state direction.
Products and positioning
Sudan's sovereign monetary authority and banking-system regulator, with a major role in Islamic finance and financial-sector continuity during wartime.
Currency and cash management · 1960
Sudanese pound currency administration
The Central Bank of Sudan is responsible for issuing and managing Sudan's national currency, the Sudanese pound. This includes overseeing circulation, cash availability, internal monetary accounts, and the broader currency infrastructure required by commercial banks and the public.
Central banking · 1960
Monetary policy
The bank uses monetary and credit policies to pursue monetary stability, influence financing conditions, allocate banking resources toward priority sectors, and support economic activity. Its policy role has been especially important during periods of currency stress and conflict-related disruption.
Financial regulation · 1960
Banking supervision
The institution regulates and supervises Sudan's commercial-banking sector. Its responsibilities include setting operating rules, overseeing foreign-exchange financing, supporting banking-sector liquidity, and maintaining the stability of the country's financial institutions and payment channels.
Islamic finance · 1984
Sharia-compliant financial certificates
Following Sudan's shift toward Islamic banking, the government used financial certificates designed to comply with Islamic principles instead of relying solely on conventional treasury bills and government bonds. The framework is subject to Sharia-related oversight.
Financial inclusion
Financial-inclusion policy
The bank develops policies intended to broaden access to formal financial services in Sudan. Its membership in the Alliance for Financial Inclusion connects this work with international efforts to improve access to payments, savings, credit, and other regulated services.
Controversies
2023
Central-bank facilities damaged during civil war
The bank's headquarters and branch facilities in Khartoum were damaged during fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Reports described rocket impact, fire, and alleged bombing, although the wartime circumstances limited independent verification of specific incidents.
Brand decisions
2025
Ban private-sector gold exportsOtherBackground
The bank sought to address gold smuggling and protect foreign-currency reserves during a period of severe economic and wartime pressure.
Action taken
The central bank declared a ban on gold exports by the private sector.
Aftermath
The decision was presented as a foreign-exchange and anti-smuggling measure; its longer-term effects are not established in the supplied sources.
2023
Adopt emergency measures during civil warOtherBackground
Fighting damaged financial infrastructure and disrupted cash availability, salary payments, and banking operations.
Action taken
The bank announced measures to support banking-sector liquidity, facilitate salary payments, and provide cash flow for citizens.
Aftermath
The measures were intended to preserve continuity of essential banking services while the conflict continued.
1993
Create Sharia High Supervisory BoardStrategyBackground
The government required a formal mechanism for reviewing financial practices against Islamic principles.
Action taken
The Sharia High Supervisory Board was established to oversee compatibility between banking practices and Sharia requirements.
Aftermath
The board became part of the institutional framework governing Sudanese Islamic banking and public-finance instruments.
1984
Shift banking practices toward Sharia complianceStrategyBackground
Sudan introduced Islamic-law requirements affecting the banking and financial sector.
Action taken
The banking system adjusted its practices and financial instruments to conform with Islamic principles.
Aftermath
The change established Islamic finance as a defining feature of Sudan's banking system and later supported the use of financial certificates in place of conventional public-debt instruments.
Recent events
- 2026
Operations reportedly resume in Khartoum[1]
Other
The bank was reported to have resumed operations in Khartoum after wartime damage and displacement.
- 2025
Central Bank headquarters reportedly retaken in Khartoum[1]
Other
The Sudanese Armed Forces were reported to have retaken the bank's headquarters from the Rapid Support Forces in March.
- 2025
Private-sector gold export ban announced[1]
Regulation
The bank reportedly prohibited private-sector gold exports as part of an effort to reduce smuggling and protect foreign-currency reserves.
- 2025
Amna Mirghani Hassan al-Toum appointed governor[1]
Leadership change
Amna Mirghani Hassan al-Toum was reported to have become governor in October, making her the first woman to hold the position.
- 2023
Central Bank headquarters damaged during Sudanese civil war[1]
Other
The bank's Khartoum headquarters and other banking facilities were affected by fighting during the conflict, disrupting the country's financial infrastructure.
- 2023
Central Bank announces emergency banking measures[1]
Other · Regulation
In June, the bank announced measures intended to support banking-sector liquidity, salary payments, and public access to cash amid wartime disruption.
Sources1 sources
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