Photo courtesy of Egypt's cabinet
The directives come as military developments in the region continue to affect global markets, disrupting energy supplies, trade flows, and financing conditions, prompting Cairo to closely monitor impacts on the domestic economy and ensure supply security.
The government is maintaining round-the-clock follow-up of regional developments to enable timely interventions that safeguard economic stability, enhance competitiveness, and preserve gains achieved in recent years, PM Madbluly said during a cabinet meeting in the New Capital.
He reaffirmed Egypt’s long-standing position, under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, calling for de-escalation and warning of the negative implications of continued tensions on regional security.
Egypt also rejects any unjustified attacks on Arab states and any infringement on their sovereignty, he added.
The premier said President El-Sisi had reaffirmed this stance during recent calls with Arab and Islamic leaders, as well as during visits to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where he stressed Egypt’s full support for Gulf states amid ongoing developments.
Madbouly noted that the government is advancing institutional and fiscal reforms to strengthen economic resilience, including rationalizing public spending, boosting revenues, and reducing public debt, in line with preparations for the 2026/2027 budget.
Efforts are also underway to attract more domestic and foreign investment, with officials maintaining direct contact with investors to explain measures taken to reduce the impact of regional instability, he explained.
He added that the central crisis management committee continues to hold regular meetings to assess the implications of the ongoing escalation, and that a set of proposed measures is to be reviewed by the cabinet.
Separately, Madbouly directed authorities to facilitate reconciliation procedures for building violations, aiming to close the file as soon as possible, and to simplify procedures for registering residential units without administrative burdens.
The electricity-saving push builds on a package of urgent measures announced on 18 March, including earlier business closures, reduced street lighting, and a partial shift to remote work for government employees, aimed at easing pressure on the national grid.
Under those measures, shops, malls, restaurants, and cafes will close at 9 pm, extended to 10 pm on weekends, for one month starting 28 March, while government offices will close at 6 pm after the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, with some administrative work carried out remotely.
Madbouly said ministers and provincial governors are tasked with enforcing the measures, describing the situation as requiring “decisive action” to curb consumption.
The steps come as Egypt faces a sharp rise in energy costs, with the monthly natural gas import bill increasing from around $560 million before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran to about $1.65 billion, driven by the need to secure supplies for electricity generation and industry.
He added that oil prices have surged from about $69 per barrel before the conflict to above $100, with projections suggesting they could climb further if tensions escalate, significantly increasing the burden on the state.
Egypt’s overall energy bill has effectively doubled, or risen to as much as 2.5 times previous levels, he said, prompting the government to adopt parallel measures beyond price adjustments, particularly to rationalize consumption.
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