Egypt has enforced a package of energy-saving measures for a one-month period amid a global rise in oil prices in the wake of the US-Israeli offensive on Iran.

The measures include the closure of shops, restaurants, shopping centers, cinemas, theaters, and wedding halls at 9.00 pm local time (1900 GMT), except for Thursdays and Fridays when closing time will be 10.00 pm (2000 GMT), Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s office said in a statement.

The measures also include reducing street lighting and cutting street advertisement lighting by 50%, as well as reducing fuel allocations for government vehicles by 30%.

Authorities also decided to close the government district in the New Administrative Capital at 6.00 pm (1600 GMT) and slowing down major national projects that consume large amounts of diesel for two months, the statement said.

The measures also include implementing remote work on Sundays starting from April 1.
Pharmacies, grocery stores, and tourist facilities along the Nile in Cairo and Giza governorates, as well as tourist destinations in South Sinai, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada and Marsa Alam were exempted from the measures.

“These measures aim to mitigate the effects of rising energy import costs due to high global oil prices,” Madbouly told a press conference on Saturday.

Egypt’s energy import bill increased from $1.2 billion in January to $2.5 billion in March, he added.

The recent fuel price increases implemented by the government only cover about one-third of the rise in Egypt’s energy import bill following the surge in oil prices, the premier said.

On March 10, the Egyptian Petroleum Ministry announced fuel price hikes ranging from 14% to 30% due to rising oil prices.

- ⁠Anadolu follows implementation of measures

An Anadolu crew toured the streets of the Egyptian capital and observed the start of shop and restaurant closures in central Cairo.

Footage showed some streets plunged into darkness due to closed shops and restaurants, while other streets were completely unlit except for a single pharmacy exempted from early closure rules.

Billboards above the 6th of October Bridge, a major link in central Cairo, were also seen without lighting.

Global energy markets are experiencing significant fluctuations due to the US-Israeli strikes against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks, contributing to higher oil and gas prices and inflation.

Governments in many countries have taken measures to mitigate the impact on their economies and citizens.

On March 2, Iran announced restrictions on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil tankers, threatening to attack any vessels attempting to pass without coordination.

About 20 million barrels of oil pass through the strait daily, and its closure has caused to raise oil prices and shipping and insurance costs, triggering global economic concerns.

The entire region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched an air offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul