Current time in Cairo, Egypt
The current local time in Cairo is shown below. Cairo observes EET in winter and EEST during daylight saving time.
Daylight saving time
Sunrise & sunset today
Timezone facts
Cairo in context
Cairo sprawls along both banks of the Nile near the apex of its delta, around 165 kilometres south of the Mediterranean coast. The Greater Cairo region holds approximately 22 million residents, making it the largest urban area in Africa, the Arab world, and the Middle East. The river divides the city between the historic Islamic and Coptic quarters on the eastern bank and the newer Giza and 6th of October City extensions to the west, with the central business district concentrated around downtown Cairo on the east bank.
Timezone history of Cairo
Egypt's relationship with daylight saving has changed repeatedly over the past two decades. The country observed DST conventionally until 2010, suspended it for several years, briefly reintroduced it in 2014 and 2015 before suspending again, and in 2023 returned to a seasonal schedule that now runs from the last Friday of April to the last Thursday of October. Cairo therefore sits on UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer, the latter aligning it with Moscow, the Gulf states, and Istanbul year-round.
Working hours in Cairo
Egypt's standard working week runs Sunday to Thursday, with Friday and Saturday as the weekend. Offices typically open at 09:00 and close around 17:00 in winter, though government departments have historically run shorter days. During Ramadan, working hours are reduced by federal law, and most cafés and restaurants remain closed during daylight, opening for iftar at sunset. The public holiday calendar combines Islamic festivals shifting through the year with Coptic Christmas on 7 January, observed nationally despite the religious split between Muslim and Christian Egyptians.