File photo: Cairo s City Stars Mall (Photo: City Stars Facebook page)
The extended summer schedule, effective from the last Friday in April to the last Thursday in September each year, allows commercial shops and malls nationwide to open from 7am to 11pm.
Cafés and restaurants, including those inside shopping centres, may operate from 5am to 1am.
Takeaway services are exempt from time restrictions and can run around the clock.
Workshops and handicraft shops in residential areas must adhere to the 8am to 7pm schedule. However, exceptions to this are those located on highways or at fuel stations.
Closing times will be extended by one hour on Thursdays, Fridays, official holidays, and religious feasts.
The summer timetable will not affect pharmacies, bakeries, supermarkets, fruit and vegetable vendors, poultry shops, or wholesale markets, which can remain open around the clock.
Egypt first introduced seasonal business hours in June 2020, with summer operating times running nearly an hour longer than winter schedules.
Officials say the measure aims to ease traffic congestion, reduce overcrowding, and minimize road obstructions in busy areas.
It is also intended to support public health, lower noise levels, and protect infrastructure.
The summer schedule coincides with Egypt’s switching to Daylight Saving Time on Friday.
The country will move clocks forward by one hour from midnight to 1am, a practice that aims to reduce energy consumption as the hot months approach.
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