Egypt's prime minister says reports of 6–8 hour daily power cuts are inaccurate

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has said that reports claiming he announced daily electricity load shedding of six to eight hours are inaccurate, and that no such cuts were announced.

Speaking on Thursday at the Egypt 2026 Forum, where he set out the National Economic Transformation Programme, Madbouly said his earlier remarks at the same forum were limited to reviewing possible scenarios for dealing with rising global energy prices, Egypt Independent reported.

He said the state has chosen, for the current phase, to carry the extra cost itself rather than pass it on to citizens. The budget for this financial year was built on an oil price of **$75 a barrel**, while the price now exceeds **$110**.

The three options he set out

• Passing the cost to consumers by raising prices in line with global markets, as several countries have done
• Having the state temporarily cover the price gap until market trends become clearer, which adds to public debt
• Keeping strictly to budgeted allocations by cutting petroleum imports by up to 40 to 50 percent

The statement was national and named no measure for the Red Sea Governorate. It establishes that the six-to-eight-hour figure circulating on social media was not an announced plan. Madbouly described the state's decision to absorb the higher cost as one for the current phase, and gave no commitment about the period after it.