Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly has issued a decision setting out the legal arrangements for closing public commercial premises, shopping centers and restaurants to customers from 9 p.m.
The decision, effective for one month from Saturday, 28 March 2026, provides as follows:
All public commercial premises governed by the Public Shops Law, enacted under Law No. 154 of 2019—including shopping malls, restaurants, cafés and bazaars—must close to customers at 9 p.m. daily. On Thursdays, Fridays, public holidays and official occasions designated by a decision of the prime minister, the closing time is 10 p.m. Home delivery services, where available, may continue around the clock.
This does not affect the opening and closing times for workshops and craft businesses within residential areas, as stipulated in Article 3 of Decision No. 456 of 2020 issued by the Minister of Local Development and chairman of the Supreme Committee for Public Shops Licensing concerning the opening and closing hours of public commercial premises.
The preceding provision also applies to restaurants, cafeterias, bazaars, night-time variety entertainment venues, discotheques and shops selling antiques and tourism goods governed by the Hotel and Tourism Establishments Law, enacted under Law No. 8 of 2022.
All clubs, sports and community facilities, company and factory clubs, youth centers and youth development centers must close to visitors at 9 p.m. daily. On Thursdays, Fridays, public holidays and official occasions designated by the prime minister, the closing time is 10 p.m.
The decision does not apply to grocery stores, supermarkets, bakeries, bread ovens or pharmacies. It also exempts tourism-licensed restaurants and cafeterias at airports, seaports, land ports and railway stations, as well as tourism-licensed restaurants, cafeterias and activities within or attached to hotels. Operating hours for certain night-time businesses, such as fruit and vegetable shops, poultry shops and wholesale markets, must also be taken into account.
The decision does not apply to public commercial premises or tourism establishments in South Sinai, Luxor and Aswan governorates, or in Hurghada and Marsa Alam in the Red Sea Governorate. It also exempts public commercial premises and tourism establishments along the Nile riverbank within Cairo and Giza governorates.
