Egypt Slaps 9pm Business Curfew on Businesses to Tame Fuel Crisis

CAIRO — Egypt’s government has rolled out a strict 9pm curfew on shops, restaurants, malls, and cafes starting this Saturday, a desperate bid to rein in skyrocketing fuel costs that have more than doubled since the Iran war erupted last month.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly unveiled the one-month measure during a televised address Thursday, warning of a “worst-case scenario” as the conflict ravages global energy markets. “Before the war, our monthly energy bill stood at $560 million for the same volume,” Madbouly said. “Now, it’s $1.65 billion — a burden we can’t sustain without action.”

The rules kick in immediately: Weekday operations wrap at 9pm sharp, while Thursdays and Fridays — Egypt’s weekend — get a slight extension to 10pm. Essential services like pharmacies and supermarkets remain exempt, officials clarified.

The move follows a 30%+ fuel price hike earlier this month, pushing diesel to EGP 17.75 per liter and gasoline variants up to EGP 17.50, per state announcements. War-related strikes on regional oil facilities, Iranian threats to seal the Strait of Hormuz (through which 20% of global crude flows in normal times), and halted tanker traffic have sent import costs through the roof. Egypt, heavily reliant on subsidized energy imports, now faces bills projected to hit $20 billion annually if the chaos persists, economists warn.

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Compounding the pain, Suez Canal revenues — a lifeline bringing in $9.4 billion last year — have cratered. Rerouted shipping has slashed transit volumes by 40%, per UNCTAD figures, starving Cairo of dollars needed to prop up the battered Egyptian pound.

Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy moved quickly to reassure visitors: “These restrictions won’t touch tourists or key sites like the pyramids or Sharm El Sheikh resorts,” his office stated. Egypt’s vital tourism sector, which drew 14.9 million visitors in 2025, dodged the axe — for now.

Madbouly stressed the curfew’s temporary nature, tying it to the war’s unpredictable trajectory. “We’re preparing for prolonged strain,” he added, hinting at broader austerity steps if Tehran-backed militias keep Hormuz choked.

Business owners grumbled online, with Cairo cafe operators decrying lost evening revenue during Ramadan prep. Yet analysts see it as a pragmatic pivot: Similar energy-saving edicts in 2023 cut consumption by 15%, buying time amid subsidy reforms.

As the Iran conflict grinds into its second month, Egypt joins neighbors like Jordan and Lebanon in wartime belt-tightening, underscoring how Middle East flares ripple to everyday wallets worldwide.