Egypt celebrates Christmas amid tightened safety measures

CAIRO - 7 January 2018: Egypt’s security authorities raised a nationwide security alert on Sunday to secure Christmas celebrations, Egyptian security authorities announced.

The General Directorate of Traffic intensified its work by spreading many services to all the governorates to ensure a safe and smooth flow of vehicles in Egypt’s cities and on its highways, in accordance with the instructions of the General Director of Traffic Islam al-Ashkar.

It has also spread a large number of four-wheel-drive vehicles, radars and detection campaigns onto the highways to ensure that drivers do not take any kind of narcotics and to prevent any traffic accidents.

More security forces were deployed at churches, national parks, metro stations and the state’s vital institutions. The procedures came in line with the efforts undertaken by Minister of Interior Magdi Abdel Ghaffar to ensure peace, stability and security in the state.

Moreover, Cairo International Airport authorities intensified security measures by deploying police personnel in front of travel and arrival terminals and in the vicinity of the airport.

Coptic Orthodox Egyptians, who make up 90 percent of all Christians in the country, celebrate Christmas on January 7; a minority of Egyptian Christians observe the holiday on December 25.