Is it safe to withdraw cash in Sudan or not?
Cash is still king in Sudan. Foreign cards sometimes don’t work at all, and you might need to use agents or hotels to exchange currency. ATMs are not meant for late-night use - expect poor lighting, no security, and often no power after sunset. I planned around this and carried enough cash for evenings.
Locals guided me to an ATM near the Al-Souq Al-Arabi area. It was functional, but by 7 PM the traffic and footfall dropped sharply. Street crime isn’t rampant, but even Sudanese friends advised withdrawing in daylight hours - not because of threats, but the general unpredictability.
I stayed near the University of Khartoum, and while an ATM was nearby, I never saw anyone use it after dusk. I withdrew money mid-morning instead. The few machines available are often slow or out of service, and English menus can be buggy. At night, there's no visible security, and neighborhoods darken quickly.
In Khartoum, I found a working ATM at Bank of Khartoum, near the Mogran area, just before 8 PM. The area had some evening activity, but lighting was poor, and the streets emptied fast. ATM safety at night in Sudan is not ideal - even locals strongly prefer daytime withdrawals. I had to retry twice due to machine errors and got cash on the third attempt. Bring backup cash if you’re traveling here, as ATM uptime is hit or miss and power issues can shut things down without warning.