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Forex Market Hours in Egypt: Session Times in Eastern European Time
Forex sessions converted to Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2; UTC+3 in Egyptian summer time), with summer and winter times, the best window to trade, the daily rollover and gold's break.
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Forex in Egypt runs on Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2; UTC+3 in Egyptian summer time). The trading week opens at Monday 00:00 local time in winter and Monday 00:00 during US and UK summer time, and closes at Saturday 00:00 in winter and Saturday 00:00 in summer. Its busiest and cheapest window is the London and New York overlap, 15:00 to 19:00 in winter and 15:00 to 19:00 in summer.
Egypt does not change its clocks in the same weeks as the US and UK, but London and New York do, so your local session times move by an hour twice a year. The tables below give both sets of times, with the daily rollover, gold's daily break and the moments to avoid.
| Weekly open | Monday 00:00 (winter), Monday 00:00 (summer) |
|---|---|
| Weekly close | Saturday 00:00 (winter), Saturday 00:00 (summer) |
| Best window | London and New York overlap, 15:00 to 19:00 winter, 15:00 to 19:00 summer |
| Daily rollover | 00:00 winter, 00:00 summer |
| Local time zone | Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2; UTC+3 in Egyptian summer time) |
Forex sessions in Cairo time
| Session | Local time, US/UK summer | Local time, US/UK winter |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 00:00 to 09:00 | 22:00 to 07:00 |
| Tokyo | 03:00 to 12:00 | 02:00 to 11:00 |
| London | 10:00 to 19:00 | Same all year |
| New York | 15:00 to 00:00 | Same all year |
| London and New York overlap | 15:00 to 19:00 | Same all year |
Summer means roughly April to late October, when both the US and UK use daylight saving time; winter means November to mid-March. Egypt uses summer time from the last Friday of April to the last Thursday of October under Law 24 of 2023, which lines up with US and UK summer for most of the year; in the weeks when the dates differ, sessions shift by an hour in Cairo. Our market hours tool shows the live times automatically.
The four sessions in brief
- Sydney. The week starts here. Quiet for most pairs except AUD and NZD, with wider spreads in the first hour.
- Tokyo. Steady activity in yen pairs and AUD; ranges on EUR and GBP pairs are often narrow.
- London. The largest forex centre. Volume and volatility rise sharply at the open, and many daily moves start here.
- New York. US data releases land early in the session. The overlap with London is the most liquid part of the day.
The best times to trade
Most major-pair activity happens in the London session and the overlap with New York, 15:00 to 19:00 in winter and 15:00 to 19:00 in summer in Cairo. Spreads are tightest then and price moves are larger, which suits day traders. The Tokyo session suits traders who prefer calmer, range-bound conditions on yen pairs. For gold, the overlap is also the busiest time; see our guide to gold trading hours.
Times to avoid
| Moment | Local time, summer | Local time, winter | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily rollover | 00:00 | Same all year | Spreads widen as banks roll positions |
| Gold daily break | 00:00 to 01:00 | Same all year | Gold pauses; spreads wide at reopen |
| Weekly open | Monday 00:00 | Same all year | Thin liquidity, wide spreads, possible gaps |
| Major US data | Early New York session | Same, one hour later locally | Fast moves and slippage |
Our guides to spreads at rollover and weekend gaps explain the costs in detail.
Broker server time vs your clock
MetaTrader shows prices and sessions in your broker's server time, often GMT+2 in winter and GMT+3 in summer, so the trading day starts at 00:00 on the server when New York's day ends. That is not Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2; UTC+3 in Egyptian summer time). Check the server time at the top of Market Watch once and note the difference from your own clock, so session tables in the Specification window make sense.
A trader in Cairo works 09:00 to 17:00. The overlap runs from 15:00 to 19:00 most of the year, so the trader trades from 17:30 to 19:00 after work. New entries stop by 23:45, before the midnight rollover and gold's break.
The pound, deposits and what moves in Cairo hours
Egyptian traders usually fund broker accounts in US dollars, and access to foreign currency through banks can affect which deposit methods are practical. The Egyptian pound's rate against the dollar changes what each deposit and withdrawal is worth locally, so check the conversion used by each method. Our guide to forex legality in Egypt covers the regulatory position.
Cairo traders see London open at 10:00 for most of the year and the overlap from 15:00 to 19:00. US data at 15:30 Cairo time usually brings the largest moves on major pairs and gold. The Tokyo session in the early morning suits traders who prefer calmer conditions on yen pairs.
A routine that fits a working day
Cairo's clock keeps the overlap at 15:00 to 19:00 for most of the year, which suits traders who finish work in the late afternoon. In the few weeks each spring and autumn when Egypt's summer-time dates differ from the US and UK, check the times with a converter.
Regulation and brokers
Egypt's Financial Regulatory Authority supervises non-banking financial services and has warned the public against unlicensed online investment platforms. Our guide to whether forex trading is legal in Egypt covers the position for traders.
Holidays
US and UK holidays shorten or close forex trading even when Egypt is working normally, and local public holidays do not close the global market. Christmas, New Year and US Thanksgiving are the main ones. Our forex holiday calendar and our guide to the Christmas and New Year schedule list the dates.
Save the overlap window, the rollover and gold's break as recurring events in your phone calendar in Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2; UTC+3 in Egyptian summer time), and update them in March, October and November when daylight saving changes.
Broker hours can differ by a few minutes from the times above, especially for gold, indices and around holidays. Check the Sessions table in the symbol's Specification window.
Session hours use each centre's usual local business hours (Sydney 07:00 to 16:00, Tokyo 09:00 to 18:00, London and New York 08:00 to 17:00), converted with official daylight-saving rules. Gold hours follow CME Group's published schedule.
Frequently asked
What time does forex open in Egypt?
The forex week opens on Sunday at 17:00 New York time, which is Monday 00:00 in Cairo in winter and Monday 00:00 during US summer time. Spreads are wide in the first hour, so many traders wait before entering.
What time does forex close on Friday in Egypt?
Friday at 17:00 New York time, which is Saturday 00:00 in Cairo in winter and Saturday 00:00 in summer. Positions held after that are exposed to weekend gaps when the market reopens.
What is the best time to trade forex in Egypt?
The London and New York overlap, 15:00 to 19:00 in winter and 15:00 to 19:00 in summer, when volume is highest and spreads tightest on major pairs. Gold is also busiest then.
When is the forex rollover in Cairo?
At 17:00 New York time, which is 00:00 in winter and 00:00 in summer in Cairo. Spreads widen for a few minutes and the overnight swap is charged then.
Why do forex session times change in Egypt?
Egypt uses summer time from the last Friday of April to the last Thursday of October under Law 24 of 2023, which lines up with US and UK summer for most of the year; in the weeks when the dates differ, sessions shift by an hour in Cairo. Local times for the London and New York sessions therefore shift by an hour twice a year.
Do local public holidays close the forex market?
No. The global market follows the main financial centres, so local holidays do not close it. US and UK holidays, Christmas and New Year do shorten or close trading at most brokers.
Official sources: CME Group: gold futures fact card · FX Recap market hours tool
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The team behind this guide
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