Karachi, 05 March 2026 – The Pakistani rupee strengthened in Thursday’s session, with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) fixing the USD/PKR mark-to-market currency rate at Rs 279.4115, 1 paisa below last close and the slimmest print of 2026 so far.
Priority Currencies – Quick Take
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US Dollar (USD) – 279.41 (spot)
The modest retreat keeps the greenback tethered to the 279.41 level, comfortably within the 279–282 range that has governed trade since October. One-week forwards sit at 279.79, implying a negligible 0.14 % carrying cost. Exporters continue to offload positions above 279.80, while petroleum importers accumulate on dips below 279.40.
“Market liquidity remains ample; the currency rate is drifting on technical flows rather than any fundamental catalyst,” noted a senior treasury official. -
British Pound (GBP) – 372.40 (spot) ⭐
Sterling retreats to 372.40 from yesterday’s 373.11; one-year forward is 386.46, translating into 3.8 % annualised rupee depreciation. Textile exporters to Manchester are hedging six-month receivables near 374, maintaining healthy forward premiums. -
Saudi Riyal (SAR) – 74.42
SAR edges marginally higher to 74.4244; 12-month forward is 76.76, an annualised 3.1 %—still the narrowest spread among principal remittance channels. Exchange houses report steady foot traffic from pilgrims securing rates ahead of the upcoming Umrah season. -
UAE Dirham (AED) – 76.08
AED firms slightly to 76.0811; six-month forward is 77.36, implying 3.3 % annualised rupee softness. Gulf salary remittances continue flowing through official banking corridors, keeping the cross-rate anchored. -
Qatari Riyal (QAR) – 76.60
QAR mirrors regional peers at 76.6036; 12-month forward is 79.55, a 4.2 % annualised differential—virtually matching SAR and AED, underscoring uniform Gulf-peg stability. -
Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) – 912.51
KWD softens to 912.5130 on the subdued USD cross. Twelve-month forwards at 949.36 equate to 4.0 % annualised PKR weakness—marginally wider than GCC counterparts due to thinner dinar market depth. -
Australian Dollar (AUD) – 196.34
The “Aussie” firms to 196.34 as iron-ore steadies above $104/t. One-year forward is 202.33, implying 3.1 % annualised rupee depreciation—tracking closely with the SAR curve, affirming commodity-linked volatility. -
Canadian Dollar (CAD) – 204.63
The “Loonie” firms to 204.63 as WTI crude hovers near $76/bbl. Twelve-month forwards at 215.31 still pencil out to 5.2 % annualised rupee softness, though prairie pulse importers are said to have pre-booked March cargoes, limiting further CAD upside.
Other Major Currencies
Euro opens at 323.99, down 0.1 % on the week following softer Eurozone inflation data; one-year forward is 341.53, translating into 5.4 % annualised rupee weakness. Japanese yen remains the most affordable major at 1.78 per unit, but forwards price 6.1 % annualised PKR decline—the steepest among G-10 pairs. Swiss franc is 357.38; Singapore dollar 218.61; Swedish krona 30.27; Norwegian krone 28.87; Danish krone 43.36; New Zealand dollar 165.31; Chinese yuan 40.51; Turkish lira 6.35; Russian ruble 3.58; Indian rupee 3.05; Bangladeshi taka 2.28—all within familiar ranges and suggesting no event-risk premium ahead of the IMF’s first-quarter 2026 assessment.
