Shops & Malls Across Egypt to Close at 10 PM From September 26th

Shops and malls across Egypt will move to winter trading hours from midnight on September 26th, with general closing at 10 pm and at 11 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and official holidays. The Ministry of Local Development instructed governorates to prepare for and enforce the winter schedule for opening and closing hours for shops, malls, restaurants and cafés, as the summer schedule concludes on Thursday, September 25th. The framework follows Minister of Local Development Decision 456 of 2020, which defines the summer period as starting from the last Friday of April until the end of the last Thursday of September each year. Under the winter timings, shops and malls open daily from 7 am and close at 10 pm, with the closing extended to 11 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and official holidays. Restaurants, cafés and bazaars, including those in malls, operate daily from 5 am and close at 12 midnight, while takeaway and home delivery services for restaurants and cafés continue throughout the day. Workshops and craft activities within residential areas run from 8 am to 6 pm, with exceptions for workshops on roads, fuel stations and facilities linked to urgent services for residents. Grocery stores, supermarkets, bakeries and ovens are exempt from the set hours, and authorities will take into account night-time activity for fruit and vegetable shops, poultry shops, wholesale markets and pharmacies. In coastal governorates, opening and closing hours may be adjusted by a decision from the Minister of Local Development upon a proposal from the governor.