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‘Not the Cairo We Know’: Energy Shock From Iran War Dims Egypt Nights
Officials say the month-long curfew could save energy as Egypt’s import bill more than doubled to $2.5 billion between January and March.
- To curb rising energy costs, the Egyptian government mandated shops close at 9:00 PM on weekdays and 10:00 PM on weekends, aiming to reduce the nation's $2.5 billion monthly energy import bill.
- Global energy prices surged following the US-Israel war on Iran, forcing Egypt to address its reliance on imported fuel; around 60 percent of the country's $20 billion annual oil budget goes toward powering the electrical grid.
- Economist Wael el-Nahas warned that early closures disproportionately affect the informal economy, which accounts for two-thirds of all jobs; shopworker Ali Haggag estimated his clothing store lost more than half its revenue in days.
- While resort hubs like Luxor and Aswan are exempt, film producer Gaby Khoury noted that most box-office income comes from late-night screenings now effectively canceled, disrupting cinema and tourism industries.
- Upcoming Coptic Easter holidays will bring a brief extension to 11:00 PM, officials expect, though locals describe the shutdowns as jarring for a city once famed for nightlife; some residents believe people will adapt.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Cairo goes dark as Egypt struggles to cope with fall out from Iran war
Normally bustling with activity until the early hours of the morning, the streets of Cairo have gone dark. Soaring fuel costs have pushed the Egyptian government to issue a month-long early-closing order. Now shops are shuttered at 9pm during the week and 10pm on weekends.
Releases new early closing orders to contain the rise of the bills
War in the Middle East: the energy crisis darkens the nights of Cairo Admin FCE 06 Apr 2026 - 05:07 Abu Ali was, like every night, in the middle of dominoes in an old café in central Cairo when everything went extinct, in application of the commercial curfew imposed in Egypt to save energy because of the war in the Middle East."I usually stay here until 2:00 a.m., now I'm home at the latest at 11:00 p.m., just to watch the news," deplores this r…
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