Cairo’s nightlife goes quiet
Egypt dimmed Cairo’s nightlife as of March 31 to tackle soaring energy costs, leaving once‑buzzy historic streets quieter and changing evening cultural rhythms for visitors. The government move is explicitly tied to energy conservation amid regional tensions. (reuters.com) (english.news.cn)
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced the measures would take effect on March 28 and run for an initial one‑month period. (egypttoday.com) Shops, malls, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and wedding halls are required to close by 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and by 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays under the new rules. (aa.com.tr) The Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy said the measures do not apply to tourist attractions, hotels and tourist restaurants, explicitly exempting Hurghada, Sharm el‑Sheikh, Marsa Alam, Luxor and Aswan. (egypttoday.com) Officials told state media Egypt’s monthly energy import bill rose from about $1.2 billion in January to $2.5 billion in March. (dailynewsegypt.com) Government figures cited at the announcement said Egypt’s monthly natural‑gas import bill climbed to roughly $1.65 billion from about $560 million before the recent regional escalation. (manassa.news) The emergency package also orders a slowdown of fuel‑intensive national projects for at least two months and a 30% cut to fuel allocations for government vehicles. (egyptoil-gas.com) Local business owners described the early closures as “ruinous,” and reporting from the Associated Press noted some cafés kept patrons inside behind closed doors in defiance of the curfew. (abcnews.com)
