CAIRO - Egyptian cabinet decided on Wednesday to cancel daylight saving time, Egypt's official Middle East News Agency reported. It was supposed to make the switch to the daylight saving summer time at midnight on the last Thursday of April by pushing the clocks ahead one hour. This period runs from Friday April 29 until the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which is expected to start on August 1 by winding the clock by one hour back. This practice has been a controversial topic debated every year by both the public and traders alike. While some Egyptians are saying that the summer time has many advantages, others have called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which has been running the country's affairs since Feb 11, to cancel it once and for all. Reda Sabri, a Cairo-based Government employee, says he wants the summer time system to remain in effect because he enjoys the extra hour of daylight in the afternoon doing outdoor household chores such as buying food stuff for his family or going out with his children and wife. Sabri adds that daylight saving time could be linked to reduced road traffic in the precincts of Cairo and enjoying the extra hour of daylight in the afternoon or evening with his children "I work during the day, and the system gives me more time to interact with my wife and children and enjoy going out with them in the afternoon, or the evening. The daylight saving time gives us a chance to participate in recreational activities, such as going out together after a long day of work," he told The Egyptian Gazette.
