Cairo's vibrant streets, filled with bright billboards and storefronts, have been dimmed to curb energy consumption. Government offices now close early, at six o'clock. Moreover, beginning Saturday, 28 March, Egypt will implement sweeping restrictions mandating earlier closing times for shops, restaurants, and malls—part of a broader effort to curb energy consumption and reduce mounting fuel costs.
On 18 March, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly outlined the measures during a weekly cabinet briefing, framing them as necessary to manage rising fuel import costs and safeguard the national power grid.
Across Cairo , frustration is mounting. Many residents are concerned about the disruption to daily life and the economic toll on workers and small businesses already under strain.
While officials have linked the measures to rising global energy prices and regional instability, the policies point to deeper structural pressures on Egypt's energy system. Egypt's structural dependence In recent weeks, Egypt has moved to contain the economic fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Even as the country continues to export natural gas, declining domestic production since 2021 has increased reliance on imports. In December 2025, Cairo signed a controversial deal to import gas from Israel, the effects of which became more visible as Israel halted production at its offshore gas field, Leviathan, in the first days of the war.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources spokesperson, Mahmoud Nagi, maintained that Egypt’s gas supply remained unaffected. Madbouly's restrictions tell a different story.
According to Madbouly, Egypt's monthly natural gas bill has risen by over $1.1 billion since the start of the war, from $560 million to $1.65 billion. On 10 March, the government raised fuel prices by three Egyptian pounds per litre, citing higher import and logistics costs. Street lighting has also been dimmed by up to 50 per cent in some areas.
With more than 80 per cent of the country's electricity generated from natural gas, disruptions to production and supply chains have a considerable impact on Egypt's energy grid.
Timothy Kaldas, deputy director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, warned that "the price of liquefied natural gas … is significantly higher than before" and told The New Arab that Egypt must now seek alternative gas sources.
He added that while rising energy costs are a global issue, Egypt's geopolitical position and import dependence make it particularly vulnerable. Who bears the brunt? In Cairo, uncertainty is growing among business owners and workers in the days leading up to the restrictions taking effect.
"We will follow the guidance communicated to us by the police," said one café worker in Downtown Cairo.
Others are less receptive. A juice vendor laughed when asked about the government's restrictions. "Of course I won't close early," he said.
Frustration has also surfaced online, with one user criticising the measures as "arbitrary" and questioning why the burden of these policies falls disproportionately on working people. Others have suggested alternative approaches, including targeting large-scale consumption or improving energy efficiency, rather than limiting small businesses' operating hours.
While essential services such as pharmacies and grocery stores are exempt, many non-essential businesses—particularly cafés, restaurants, and retail shops—depend heavily on evening hours. For many, reduced hours will mean reduced income.
Some businesses are only beginning to recover from reduced activity and lost wages during Ramadan, when operating hours and consumer spending patterns change. Set to take effect one week after Eid, consumers are still feeling the strain from social obligations and increased household spending.
Kaldas contended that Madbouly is attempting to address the country's energy crisis by "restricting businesses from staying open and reducing economic activity—opportunities for people to spend money, businesses to make money, and employees to work."
While Madbouly has said the measures could be lifted if conditions improve, he also indicated they may be extended if regional pressures persist. However, Kaldas added that if these restrictions continue, Egypt will see a sustained decline in economic activity and GDP. A familiar crisis, an uncertain future Yet as the summer approaches, so too does the acuity of the energy crisis at hand. Egypt's scorching summer months mean that those who can afford to use air conditioners typically do. Indeed, the use of air conditioners has led to gas shortages in previous years, prompting the government to implement rolling blackouts. Kaldas expressed that the public "was very unhappy with [these blackouts], which reflect, in their view, a failure on the part of the state to provide essential services."
The energy crisis also contributes to the Egyptian pound's inflation, which has already depreciated by more than eight per cent since the start of the war.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has increasingly framed these challenges within a regional context. At an official iftar dinner, Sisi emphasised that "the region is changing," calling for national unity in the face of external economic shocks.
For Kaldas, the current measures respond to only part of the larger problem.
"What we're seeing [the Egyptian government] do right now on the energy side is just addressing one of the external shocks," he said. "But those external shocks are likely to continue to compound the longer this goes. And the economic challenges are substantial."