Egypt's government announced on Wednesday it will suspend widely unpopular nationwide power cuts until mid-September.
In an address, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the government had imported sufficient amounts of fuel and would halt the blackouts starting on Sunday, July 21.
The decision comes amid growing public discontent and criticism over the energy-saving measures, which have caused disruption to daily life. The power cuts, introduced to compensate for a shortage of fuel for the country's power stations, have had a severe impact on small businesses and underprivileged regions.
"The power cuts will resume in mid-September but we hope to end them once and for all by the end of year," Mr Madbouly said during a press conference following a meeting of his newly reshuffled cabinet, which had pledged that solving the energy crisis was a top priority.
The Prime Minister, during a speech earlier this month, urged Egyptians to give the new government time to address the country's pressing issues, including the energy crisis and mounting economic pressures.
The Petroleum Ministry said 21 shipments of liquid natural gas, in addition to shipments of mazut, would be delivered to Egypt throughout the summer.
Five have already been received by Egypt, according to a statement from the State Information Service.
The cuts, which lasted up to six hours daily in some areas, prompted a wave of criticism of the government over the past two months. The discontent has been fuelled by excessively hot weather.
Successive heatwaves had increased demand for power as more citizens used fans and air conditioners to cool off, Mr Madbouly said, which had in turn depleted the country's fuel reserves at a time when supplies were dwindling as a result of the war in Gaza.
To reduce demand on the power grid, the government had decreed that all shops, restaurants and cafes nationwide would have to close at 10pm every night. Grocers and pharmacies were allowed to open until 1am, while skilled traders were forced to close operations at 7pm.
Business owners condemned the early closure of their establishments, arguing the power cuts disproportionately affected poorer areas while sparing more affluent neighbourhoods and larger commercial operations, which could afford to install generators.
The temporary suspension of the power cuts comes as a relief to members of the public, who have been grappling with the challenges posed by the energy crisis. However, some have questioned the government's ability to secure sufficient fuel supplies and find long-term solutions to the country's energy and economic woes.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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