Egypt imposes business curfew to counter soaring fuel costs

Egypt had ordered shops, restaurants and shopping malls to close at night from Saturday, hoping to curb energy bills that had more than doubled.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced the curfew and said it would last for a month initially, adding that on Thursdays and Fridays at the weekend they will be allowed to stay open until 10 pm.

Madbouly also said Egypt must work on the worst-case scenario in the face of a war whose outcome is unpredictable. At the beginning of March, Cairo was forced to raise fuel prices by more than 30 percent after strikes on regional oil infrastructure and threats against the Strait of Hormuz.