Egypt Curfew Cripples Local Businesses

Cairo’s once bustling night life has been choked by a curfew imposed recently as Egypt experienced its deadliest bout of violence since the 2011 uprising amid clashes between security forces and Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

Most of Cairo’s hotspots, once adorned with bright lights and hustling shopkeepers, are now dark and padlocked at least an hour before the 9 p.m. curfew, which ends at 6 a.m. local time.

Wings in Flavors, a popular restaurant on Cairo’s Zamalek island, has seen a sharp fall in customers since the curfew was enforced in mid-August. The owner Bassel El-Sawy is now worried he may be forced out of business if the curfew continues into September.

“Most of our customers come for the experience of dining out. Although we do deliver, it barely accounts for 10% of our total orders,” said Mr. Sawy, who hopes the curfew will be lifted soon.

Some restaurants and shops in fact have decided to completely shut down during the curfew period, saying it would be cheaper than to pay for utilities such as electricity and water.

The curfew has also forced many advertisers in the country to scale back spending, at least for the next month.

“I would say 40% of our clients have scaled back advertisements and business for at least a month,” said Adam Mowafi, CEO of MO4 network, a Cairo-based online marketing and public relations group.

Even essential services such as private medical facilities have been affected. Many doctors in Egypt, who work in public hospitals during the day and in private clinics after that, have lost business. They say their patients are too scared to be out on the streets.

Mohamed Badawi, a dentist and co-owner of a clinic in Cairo’s Nasr City suburb said that 60% of his patients had cancelled appointments since the curfew. His clinic, which usually makes about 20,000 Egyptian pounds or $2,864 per month, has lost more than half of its monthly income.

Egypt on Saturday shortened the nighttime curfew imposed in Cairo and several other cities as the country’s military-backed government responded to such growing worries in the business community in an already struggling economy. It also indicated that authorities sensed unrest has waned following the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi early in July.

Many locals are now hoping that tighter security will bring back much needed stability and, eventually, more business.

Source: The Wall Street Journal