Egypt lifts energy-saving measures, ends 11 p.m. shop closing restriction

People walk before the closing of shops in downtown Cairo on April 2, 2026. (AFP)

• Egypt has approved suspending the decision requiring shops, malls and ‌restaurants to close at 11 ⁠p.m., ⁠with a return to previously applied normal operating hours

CAIRO: Egypt has lifted the energy-saving ​measures it introduced last month to deal with the effects of ‌an energy ‌crisis ​caused ‌by ⁠the ​war on ⁠Iran, saying on Sunday that shops will no longer ⁠be required to ‌shut ‌at ​11 ‌p.m. local time (2000 ‌GMT).
Egypt “approved suspending the decision requiring shops, malls and ‌restaurants to close at 11 ⁠p.m., ⁠with a return to previously applied normal operating hours,” the cabinet said in a statement.
The economic shockwaves of the war continue to reverberate around the globe.
Iran has sealed off the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off vast quantities of oil, natural gas and fertiliser from the global market, sending prices soaring and raising fears of widespread hunger across the developing world.