Egypt Seeks To Reduce Energy Consumption

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) São Paulo – Egypt has ordered the closure of shops, malls, and restaurants at 9 p.m. starting on Saturday (28). The aim is to curb rising energy spending, which has more than doubled since the start of the Middle East conflict. According to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, the country's monthly energy cost stood at USD 560 million before the war and has now reached USD 1.65 billion.

Initially, Madbouly said, the measure will last for one month. On Thursdays and Fridays, shops, malls, cafés, and restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 10 p.m.

In a statement, Egypt's tourism minister, Sherif Fathy, said the measures will not affect tourists or the country's landmark sites.

Since February 28, the United States and Israel have been bombing Iran, which, in response, has attacked its neighbors in the Middle East and ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz. In peacetime, about one-fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas passes through this route.

With the war, transport through the route has been suspended, reducing the availability of oil and derivatives on the global market and driving up prices for these and other products. In early March, Egypt raised fuel prices by more than 30% as a result of the conflict.

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Translated by Guilherme Miranda

©Khaled Desouki/AFP

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