An Egyptian man carries a traditional Ramadan lantern he bought at a shopping district in the Egyptian capital Cairo s central Sayyida Zeinab district late on March 30, 2022, three days before the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.. AFP
The new hours will be applied as of Friday and will last until Eid Al-Fitr on 5 May, a three-day holiday that marks the end of the holy month.
Commercial shops and centres are usually allowed to operate nationwide from 7am to 11pm in the summer and from 7am till 10pm in the winter. Also, restaurants are allowed to open from 5am to 1am in the summer and from 5am to 12am in the winter.
According to the decision, published in the Egyptian Gazette, restaurants will be allowed to run delivery and takeout services around the clock.
Workshops inside residential areas must close their doors by 10pm, with an exception allowed for those on highways and fuel stations.
Supermarkets, groceries, bakeries and pharmacies, which are allowed to operate around the clock, are excluded from the decision.
The minister ordered all precautionary measures and social distancing during the holy month must be maintained to control the spread of pandemic.
Demand for food commodities usually increases during the month of Ramadan, which starts on Saturday.
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