PM’s remarks on electricity load shedding taken out of context

The Cabinet’s Media Center denied reports attributed to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly suggesting that electricity load-shedding cuts could last between six and eight hours daily.

In a statement issued Thursday, October 22, 2026, the Media Center said the remarks were taken out of context and did not reflect any actual decision to implement load shedding.

Madbouly made the comments during a session titled “Egypt’s Energy Journey: National Achievements and Future Prospects,” while discussing possible scenarios for addressing rising energy prices.

The Prime Minister outlined three options: passing the full increase in energy costs on to citizens, having the state absorb the entire increase, or keeping the budget allocations and purchasing petroleum products at the new prices within available resources.

He explained that the third option could cover only 50–60% of citizens’ needs, potentially forcing the government to consider more difficult measures, including electricity load-shedding cuts for six to eight hours a day.