Egypt's net foreign assets (NFAs) fell by $3.53 billion for a second month in August, after having hit their highest in two and a half years in May, central bank data showed on Thursday.

NFAs slid to 473.2 billion Egyptian pounds in August from 644.8 billion pounds as of end-July. This works out to $9.72 billion at end-August and $13.25 billion at end-July, according to Reuters calculations based on the official central bank currency rate at the time.

Egypt had been using its NFAs, which include foreign assets at both the central bank and commercial banks, to help prop up its currency since at least September 2021. NFAs turned negative in February 2022.

Egypt has renewed talks with the International Monetary Fund to soften the terms of an $8 billion financial support package it signed in March, citing extraordinary challenges in the region.

Foreign assets fell markedly at commercial banks in August but edged up slightly at the central bank, while foreign liabilities were relatively stable at both commercial banks and the central bank.

(Reporting by Patrick Werr; editing by Mark Heinrich)