Wednesday, 27 May 2026
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Egypt implements winter operating hours for shops, restaurants
Minister of Local Development Manal Awad announced the implementation of winter operating hours for commercial establishments, restaurants, cafes, shopping malls, workshops, and artisanal businesses across all governorates, effective Friday, September 26, 2025.
This decision aligns with Article 6 of Ministerial Decree No. 456 of 2020, issued by the Minister of Local Development, regulating the opening and closing times of shops in coordination with the winter time change.
Awad emphasized that these measures reflect the state's commitment to balancing citizens' daily needs with organized service delivery and the preservation of public facilities and resources in a civilized manner. The goal is to ensure the smooth operation of the system and maintain discipline in Egyptian streets.
Winter operating hours
Shops and Shopping Malls: Open daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with extended hours until 11:00 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, holidays, and official vacations.
Restaurants, Cafes, and Bazaars: Open from 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM (midnight), with extended hours until 1:00 AM on weekends and holidays. Takeaway and delivery services will remain available 24/7.
Workshops and Artisanal Businesses: Operate within residential areas from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, except for workshops located on roads, at fuel stations, or providing urgent citizen services.
Exemptions: Grocery stores, supermarkets, and bakeries are exempt from closing regulations. Nighttime operations are permitted for specific businesses, such as fruit and vegetable shops, poultry stores, wholesale markets, and pharmacies.
Awad stressed the importance of strict compliance by executive bodies across governorates, urging enhanced coordination with security directorates. She directed heads of centers, cities, and districts to activate monitoring committees to conduct inspections and ensure adherence to the new operating hours.
The Ministry’s operations room will coordinate with governorate operations rooms to continuously monitor compliance with the winter schedule, as outlined in the ministerial decree, to safeguard public health and safety. Awad called on shop, restaurant, cafe, workshop, and artisanal business owners to adhere to the new operating hours to avoid legal penalties for non-compliance.