Dollar and Other Currency Rates in Pakistan Today, 29 Jan. 2026

Karachi, 29 January 2026 – The Pakistani rupee firmed in Friday’s session, with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) fixing the USD/PKR mark-to-market currency rate at Rs 279.8016, 3 paisa below last close and the leanest print of 2026 so far.

Priority Currencies – Quick Take

1. US Dollar (USD) – 279.80 (spot)

The 3-paisa retreat keeps the greenback glued to the 279.80 handle, well inside the 279–282 band that has framed trade since October. One-week forwards sit at 279.96, implying a wafer-thin 0.06 % carry. Exporters continue to sell above 280.20, while oil importers nibble below 279.80.

“Liquidity is ample; the currency rate is drifting on positional tidy-ups rather than fresh macro cues,” said a senior treasury dealer.

2. British Pound (GBP) – 385.71 (spot)

Sterling grabs headline space at 385.71, gaining from yesterday’s 382.08; one-year forward is 399.77, implying 3.6 % annualised rupee softness. Textile exporters to Manchester are locking in six-month receivables above 387, keeping forward points well bid.

3. Saudi Riyal (SAR) – 74.60

SAR edges marginally to 74.6044; 12-month forward is 76.76, an annualised 2.9 %—still the tightest band among major remittance corridors. Exchange booths see steady demand from Umrah travellers locking in ahead of the January rush.

4. UAE Dirham (AED) – 76.18

AED firms to 76.1838; six-month forward is 77.43, implying 3.2 % annualised rupee softness. UAE salary inflows remain anchored to formal banking, keeping the pair quietly stable.

5. Qatari Riyal (QAR) – 76.78

QAR holds at 76.7815; 12-month forward is 79.56, a 4.2 % annualised gap—virtually identical to SAR and AED, underscoring uniform Gulf-peg calm.

6. Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) – 918.92

KWD gains to 918.9236 on the firmer USD cross. Twelve-month forwards at 957.91 equate to 4.2 % annualised PKR weakness—marginally wider than GCC peers owing to thinner dinar liquidity.

7. Australian Dollar (AUD) – 196.41

The “Aussie” rebounds to 196.41 as iron-ore steadies above $105/t. One-year forward is 199.38, implying 1.5 % annualised rupee deprecation—almost flat against the SAR curve, confirming commodity-driven moves.

8. Canadian Dollar (CAD) – 206.71

The “Loonie” firms to 206.71 as WTI crude hovers near $76/bbl. Twelve-month forwards at 214.81 still pencil out to 3.9 % annualised rupee softness, but importers of prairie pulses are said to have covered February shipments early, capping further CAD gains.

Other Major Currencies

Euro opens at 335.95, up 1.3 % on the week after softer German CPI data; one-year forward is 353.23, translating into 5.2 % annualised rupee weakness. Japanese yen remains the cheapest major at 1.83 per unit, but forwards price 4.6 % annualised PKR decline—the steepest among G-10 pairs. Swiss franc is 366.41; Singapore dollar 222.34; Swedish krona 31.81; Norwegian krone 29.19; Danish krone 44.99; New Zealand dollar 169.04; Chinese yuan 40.33; Turkish lira 6.42; Russian ruble 3.69; Indian rupee 3.05; Bangladeshi taka 2.29—all inside well-worn ranges and implying no event-risk premium ahead of the IMF’s first-quarter 2026 review.