Egyptian lawmaker Amal Abdelhamid is seeking to shift official work hours to 5 am–noon, replacing the 8 am–2 pm schedule. Abdelhamid is preparing to present the proposal when parliament reconvenes in October.
“Nations are built on work and productivity,” said Abdelhamid, pointing to the notable effect of discipline and long working hours on the rise of East Asian economies.
Egypt’s House of Representatives will reconvene in October 2025 for the final months of its five-year term, entering its fifth and concluding legislative session. This session will lead up to the parliamentary elections slated for November, during which voters will choose a new slate of lawmakers.
The upcoming session is expected to be a busy one, as MPs push to finalize key proposals before the current chamber is dissolved.
Abdelhamid framed the proposal as aligned with the government’s “New Republic” vision. The slogan championed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi encapsulates Egypt’s post-2014 reform agenda and sweeping infrastructure initiatives as a broader project of national renewal.
El-Sisi has himself urged earlier starts, once telling citizens that “We need to work day and night from 5 am. I was up at 5, but you were not.”
Abdelhamid argued that revising the schedule to 5 am–noon would directly raise worker productivity, particularly in industrial and production sectors, and in turn strengthen the national economy. “Scientific studies confirm the benefits of early rising,” she explained.
Ending the day at noon, she added, offers employees greater scope for personal and family commitments, which are often difficult to manage when leaving work at 4 pm. She framed the proposal as both a practical adjustment for workers and a contribution to social stability.
Criticizing late-night habits that sap employees' energy, Abdelhamid calls for a wider cultural shift. “It is not acceptable to see employees arrive fatigued and unproductive,” she said.
Many errands, often bureaucratic, depend on the same public offices that would close at midday, and it is unclear if the proposal extends beyond the state sector.
