New opening hours for shops took into effect on Monday across Egypt, coming as part of state efforts to rationalize electricity consumption.
The move was announced by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, assigning the Ministry of Local Development to supervise their implementation.
New opening hours
Madbouly announced that all shops will be closed at 10 pm in all governorates starting from July 1.
He explained that the new opening hours for stores this year do not apply to pharmacies, supermarkets, and restaurants, which will be closed by one am at the latest.
The Supreme Committee for Public Store Licensing in Local Development Ministry announced new working hours which also include commercial malls nationwide starting July 1 until September 26.
Opening hours on weekends
The committee indicated that the opening times for shops will be daily at seven am and close at 10 pm – however the timing will be expanded on Thursdays and Fridays.
On weekends and official holidays stores will close at 11 pm.
Therefore, the decrease in opening hours will be only one hour compared to the applicable summer hours.
The committee decided that the opening times for commercial malls will be at 10 am and close at midnight, but will close at one am on Thursdays and Fridays, weekends and official holidays. The committee added that the opening times for restaurants, cafes, and bazaars will start from six am, and close at midnight, and the timing will be increased on Thursdays and Fridays and official holidays to close at one am.
Takeaway services and home delivery will continue 24 hours a day for restaurants and cafes.
The opening times for workshops and craft shops will start from eight am and close at seven pm – this excludes workshops located on roads and gas stations which provided urgent services.
The committee confirmed that grocery stores, supermarkets, warehouses, and bakeries will also be excluded taking into account the night activities fruit and vegetable stores, poultry stores, wholesale markets, and pharmacies.
