Moving the clocks forward

The Cabinet issued a decision to revert back to daylight saving time starting May 15 to reduce electricity consumption, according to a statement on the Cabinet’s official Facebook page.

The decision comes in light of the current economic conditions and the lack of energy resources, the statement said, and the Ministry of Electricity’s measures of cutting power during peak times.

The clocks, however, will be turned back during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during daylight hours.

Egypt normally observes daylight saving time between the last Thursday of April and the last Thursday of September.

In 2011, a Cabinet decision by former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf canceled daylight saving time.

Electricity outages have become a regular occurrence over the past few weeks due to increased electricity consumption, with residents complaining of power cuts that last for several hours.

The Electricity Ministry has called on citizens not to use heavy-duty electronic devices between 6 pm and 11 pm. According to the ministry's statement, the increase in temperatures in the last few days has negatively affected fuel supply and power.