Egypt to Reinstate Daylight Saving Time Starting April 26, 2024

Egypt will apply daylight saving time (DST) starting April 26, 2024, with clocks moving forward one hour. According to Law No. 24 of 2023, daylight saving time will begin in Egypt in 2024, starting from the last Friday of April until the end of the last Thursday of October each year. The change will occur at midnight on Thursday, April 25, 2024, when the clock will move forward by one hour.

This marks the return of daylight saving Time in Egypt after a 7-year hiatus, with the aim of rationalizing energy use and aligning with economic conditions. The change is implemented to allow people to use more of the summertime sunlight, shifting the light hours later in the day and giving people more late evening light.

The decision to reinstate DST comes as part of efforts to improve the economy and achieve a balance in energy consumption amid global economic challenges. "The purpose of this change is to rationalize energy and fuel consumption and provide longer daylight hours for work and activity," a government spokesperson stated.

Why this matters: The reintroduction of daylight saving time in Egypt has the potential to impact energy consumption patterns and daily life for millions of Egyptians. The move aligns with global practices of adjusting clocks to make better use of daylight hours and could have implications for businesses, transportation, and energy usage in the country.

Under the new summer time schedule, shops and shopping centers will be open daily from 7 am to 11 pm, with extended closing times of 12 am on Thursdays, Fridays, and public holidays. Restaurants, cafes, and bazaars will be open from 5 am to 1 am, with 24-hour takeaway and home delivery services. Workshops and craft shops in residential areas will be open from 8 am to 7 pm, except for roadside workshops, gas stations, and urgent service providers. Supermarkets, bakeries, and some other businesses are exempt from these time restrictions.

The government had previously implemented DST in 2022, claiming it could potentially reduce power consumption by 10%, but the impact was minimal. Despite the construction of several large power plants that have increased electricity production by over 30,000 MW, Egypt is still facing power shortages, particularly during the hot summer months when demand increases. The government has cited the need for dollar liquidity to supply fuel to power stations as a key reason for the power cuts.

The change will be automatically reflected on smart devices connected to the internet. To manually adjust the clocks, users can open the computer or laptop clock, click on 'Change time and date', and move the clock forward 60 minutes when it's 11 pm on April 25, so it becomes 12 am on April 26, marking the start of daylight saving time in Egypt for 2024.

Key Takeaways

• Egypt to reinstate daylight saving time from Apr 26 to Oct 2024.
• Aim is to rationalize energy use and align with economic conditions.
• Businesses to operate under extended summer hours, some exempt.
• Prior DST implementation in 2022 had minimal impact on power consumption.
• Clocks to move forward 1 hour at midnight on Apr 25, 2024.