Egyptian Cabinet announces 29 April-3 May holidays for employees

CAIRO – 28 April 2021: Employees in the public and private sectors will take five days off, from 29 April to 3 May, to celebrate different paid national holidays, as a per a Cabinet decision.

Egyptians will celebrate the Sinai Liberation Day on Thursday 29 April instead of 25 April. As per an earlier government’s decisions, mid-week vacations are celebrated on Thursdays to give employees a longer holiday.

This is not applied on Muslim’s Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, which last for three and four days respectively.

Friday 30 April will be off as Fridays in Egypt are public holidays.

Saturday 1 May will be a holiday on the occasion of the Labor Day.

The Cabinet announced that Sunday 2 May will be off for all employees “to reduce the crowdedness of the citizens as a precautionary measure within the state’s plan to tackle the probable implications of the coronavirus pandemic,” the statement read.

On Monday 3 May, Egyptians will celebrate Sham El-Nessim, an ancient festival celebrated by the Egyptians to mark the beginning of the Spring.

The Cabinet excluded workers at “vital institutions” from the decision which relevant authorities would determine.

These vital institutions include transportation services, ambulance, hospitals as well as water, sanitation and electricity services.

The Cabinet decision comes amid a clear surge in coronavirus cases and deaths over the past month as Egypt is suffering from a third coronavirus wave.

Minister of Health Hala Zayed earlier this month urged Egyptians to stick to coronavirus measures and avoid crowds, warning them against a global surge in cases and deaths during the third wave.

In a press conference, she also urged them to register to receive the vaccine, affirming Egypt’s plans to locally produce China’s Sinovac vaccine as well as Sputnik V vaccine.