CAIRO: All nightclubs and stores that offer alcoholic beverages have been closed since midnight and will resume sales early Thursday, a security source told Youm7.
Wednesday coincides with the Islamic New Year; places that sell alcohol are required to close during religious occasions, such as in the month of Ramadan.
Most recently, some 450 stores and nightclubs in Cairo and Giza were closed Sept. 23 because it coincided with the day pilgrims take to Arafat Mount in an important ritual of Islamic hajj.
In July 2014, the tax on beer was raised from 100 to 200 percent with a minimum increase of 400 EGP per 100 liters. Taxes on wine were increased from 100 to 150 percent.