Egypt dims Cairo’s nightlife to tackle soaring energy costs

In downtown Cairo, where cafes usually spill onto pavements late into the night and traffic hums until the early hours, the streets are emptying ​earlier than usual. Shop shutters clang down shortly after evening prayers, and long stretches of once-bright boulevards now sit under reduced street lighting. The quieter streets mark an ‌unusual turn for a capital famed across the Arab world for its late-night rhythm, as Egypt orders earlier closures and dims public lighting to save electricity after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran sent energy costs sharply higher and made fuel imports harder to secure.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said this month that Egypt’s energy import bill had more than doubled since the war began, forcing the government to raise fuel prices, increase public transport fares and ​slow some state projects to ease pressure on public finances. In a country where evenings are central to commerce and social life, the policy is rippling far beyond the power grid. “As ​soon as the Isha prayer is finished … you are now past the time when Cairo truly has a different look, feel and atmosphere,” ⁠Sayed Zaama, a cafe owner in the affluent suburb of Maadi, said, referring to the final prayer of the day.

“Just wait and look around, and you’ll find the streets look like ​they did during the pandemic.” Inside his cafe, chairs that would typically fill late into the night now sit empty by 9 p.m. “All of (Cairo residents’) work is done at the coffee shop,” Zaama ​said. “People’s relationships, meetings… everything happens there.

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When people stay at home, people get frustrated.” The strain comes as Egypt’s broader economy faces renewed pressure from the war, which has driven up fuel import costs and added to inflation risks in a country already grappling with a weakened currency and heavy debt burden. Urban consumer price inflation is already above 13%, although it is well down from a peak of 38% in September 2023. Many companies are ​reducing working hours to save energy. At Zaama’s cafe, workers are alternating shifts to cope with reduced hours.

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