The new schedule, which aligns with daylight saving time, is based on Article 6 of Ministerial Decree 456 of 2020. According to the decree, the measure aims to balance the daily needs of citizens with the organization of services and the preservation of public facilities and resources.
The Minister clarified that the winter hours will apply to
various commercial activities. Shops and malls will be open daily from 7:00 AM
to 10:00 PM, with extended hours until 11:00 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and
official holidays. Restaurants, cafes, and bazaars will open at 5:00 AM and
close at midnight, extending until 1:00 AM on holidays. Takeaway and delivery
services will continue to operate 24 hours a day.
Dr. Awad also noted that workshops and craft businesses
located within residential areas will operate from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Exceptions will be made for workshops located on roads, at gas stations, or
those that provide urgent services to citizens. Grocery stores, supermarkets,
and bakeries are exempt from the closing regulations, as are certain businesses
with night activities, such as fruit and vegetable vendors, poultry shops,
wholesale markets, and pharmacies.
She stressed the importance of local executive bodies in all
governorates strictly enforcing these hours and intensifying coordination with
security directorates. Heads of districts, cities, and neighborhoods have been
instructed to activate follow-up committees to conduct campaigns on all
commercial establishments to ensure compliance with the new schedule.
Dr. Manal Awad confirmed that the ministry's operations room will coordinate with the governorate operations rooms to continuously monitor the implementation of the winter hours as stipulated in the ministerial decree, in order to maintain the safety and health of citizens. She appealed to owners of shops, restaurants, workshops, cafes, and craft business owners to comply with the new rules to avoid penalties.