Egypt extends shop closing hours to 11 pm amid easing fuel pressures – PM

Egypt will extend the closing hours for shops, malls, and restaurants to 11:00 pm from Friday, 9 April, until 27 April, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said on Thursday, citing improving global fuel trends linked to a ceasefire.

The move prolongs a temporary measure initially introduced for the Easter holiday period, replacing the standard 9:00 p.m. closing time with later hours on Thursdays and Fridays.

Madbouly said the decision reflects early signs of a decline in global energy prices following ceasefire developments, yet he cautioned that the outlook remains tied to the durability of the truce.

Under the revised rules, tourist and coastal areas are still exempt from the restrictions, reflecting their importance to the economy, particularly the tourism sector.

The government had originally set the exceptional measures to run from 28 March to 27 April, and has now opted to maintain extended hours throughout that period.

Madbouly added that authorities are closely monitoring developments and expressed hope that progress towards a full cessation of hostilities would remove the need for further extensions.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English