Egypt extends closing hours for shops, restaurants on upcoming Christian holidays

CAIRO – 1 April 2026: Egypt’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved extended closing hours for shops, malls, restaurants and other public venues during the upcoming Christian holidays, easing recently-introduced energy-saving measures for four days.

Under the decision, businesses will close at 11:00 PM instead of 9:00 PM from Friday, April 10 through Monday, April 13, the Cabinet announced after its weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

The decision came in response to a recent recommendation by the central crisis management committee.

The period coincides with a series of Christian holidays, beginning with Good Friday on April 10, followed by Holy Saturday on April 11 and Easter Sunday on April 12.

Celebrations continue the next day with Sham El-Nessim, a national holiday that brings Egyptians to parks and public spaces.

Since Saturday, most commercial venues, excluding supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies and tourism-related establishments, have been required to close at 9:00 PM during weekdays and 10:00 PM on Thursdays and Fridays.

The early closure measures were introduced as part of broader efforts to rationalize energy consumption amid global energy market pressures linked to the Iran war and wider regional escalation.

In parallel, the government has introduced partial remote working on Sundays for employees in both the public and private sectors, except for roles that require in-person attendance, in a bid to reduce electricity consumption.

The Cabinet has also cut public spending, reduced lighting across streets to save energy, and raised fuel prices by up to 30 percent amid the economic fallout from regional tensions.