About the National Bank of Egypt (NBE)
The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) has long been committed to expanding financial access and supporting economic development across the country. As one of Egypt’s most prominent financial institutions, NBE serves a wide network of individuals, SMEs, and corporate clients through a comprehensive suite of financial and non-financial services. The bank plays a central role in promoting financial inclusion and supporting underserved populations—particularly women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses—through specialized programs and initiatives tailored to their needs.
The Program
Launched in 2024, the WomenRise Program is NBE’s dedicated Women’s Market initiative, designed to support women-led SMEs, early-stage women entrepreneurs, and women professionals seeking both financial and non-financial services. The program provides a strong value proposition centered on access, empowerment, and sustainable business growth.
Financial Services
NBE offers a wide array of financial products for women SME owners, including current accounts, financial inclusion accounts, savings accounts, deposits, payroll services, and electronic collection solutions. Through the “El Ahly Business” umbrella, the bank also provides 54 structured financing programs across Egypt’s key economic sectors—Industrial, Agricultural, Commercial, and Service. Several of these programs support sectors with high participation of women-led enterprises, such as household appliances trade, leather goods, ready-made garments, detergents, upholstery fabrics, and various manufacturing activities.
For women consumers, NBE provides diverse financial services including current and savings accounts, deposits, certificates of deposit, credit and debit cards, prepaid cards, and remittances. For unbanked women, NBE has pioneered solutions such as financial inclusion accounts, the Meeza card, and accessible remittance services.
Non-Financial Services
The WomenRise Program also delivers a comprehensive package of non-financial services to help women entrepreneurs grow and formalize their businesses. Key components include:
- 32 hours of training workshops delivered over five days to build entrepreneurial and business management skills;
- Mentorship and consultancy to address business challenges;
- Money collection solutions including POS and payment gateways;
- Facilitation of financial inclusion accounts to support better financial management;
- Access to finance support, including assistance with official documents and credit file preparation;
- Bazaar participation, offering access to curated marketplaces to showcase products and reach new customers.