Egypt reverses 11 PM closure rule for shops and restaurants, restores normal hours

El-Sayed Gamal El-Din , Zeinab El-Gundy , Sunday 26 Apr 2026

Egypt has restored normal operating hours for shops, malls, and restaurants, suspending a previous decision that required closure at 11 PM, the cabinet announced on Sunday following a meeting of the Central Crisis Management Committee.

People play a game of dominos as they sit at a roadside cafe before closing in downtown Cairo. AFP

Egypt has cancelled the early closing rules imposed last month on shops, restaurants, and cafés, restoring pre-restriction operating hours nationwide.

The decision came after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who reviewed the economic fallout from ongoing regional tensions and volatility in global markets.

Under the revised rules, shops and malls will operate daily from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., extending to midnight on Thursdays, Fridays, and public holidays. Restaurants and cafés will open from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., while delivery and takeaway services will continue around the clock. Workshops in residential areas will run from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with exceptions for urgent services.

Essential activities — including grocery stores, supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, and wholesale markets — remain exempt.

The now-scrapped restrictions were introduced on 28 March as part of a one-month plan to curb electricity and fuel consumption. Businesses were required to close at 9:00 p.m., with a 10:00 p.m. extension on Thursdays, Fridays, and public holidays. The government later eased the rules, allowing operations until 11:00 p.m. through 27 April after what Madbouly described as “divergent opinions” over the policy.

Officials framed the measures as part of a broader effort to manage mounting economic strain. At the meeting, ministers reviewed contingency plans to secure strategic reserves of food and petroleum products, tighten market oversight, and contain prices.

The cabinet also examined global economic forecasts pointing to slower growth and persistent inflation in 2026, driven by higher energy and food costs and weakening trade. Global growth is expected to ease to 3.1 percent, down from 3.4 percent in 2025, while growth in the Middle East and North Africa could slow to 1.1 percent.

Madbouly also ordered the rollout of incentives to encourage households and factories to adopt solar energy, part of a push to expand renewables and reduce reliance on conventional power.

Officials said market monitoring would remain strict to prevent manipulation and ensure the availability of essential goods at fair prices.