Al-Sharkia Governor Eng. Hazem El-Ashmouny chaired the Executive Council meeting, stressing the need for all executive agencies to coordinate their efforts to improve overall performance, meet citizens’ needs, and implement presidential directives across vital sectors.

The Governor directed heads of cities, districts, and neighborhoods to strictly apply winter operating hours for commercial establishments, effective Friday, October 2, 2026. Shops and shopping malls will open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with closing extended to 11:00 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, public holidays, and official occasions.

Restaurants and cafés will close at 12:00 midnight, extended to 1:00 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, holidays, and official occasions, while takeaway and home-delivery services will continue 24 hours a day. Workshops will close at 6:00 p.m., except those located along roads and at fuel stations.

The Governor instructed heads of cities and districts to coordinate with the Sharqia Drinking Water and Wastewater Company and raise preparedness for the winter and rainy season. This includes maintaining stormwater drains in streets, squares, bridges, and tunnels, ensuring the readiness of equipment for immediate response to rainfall, and inspecting electrical panels and street-lighting poles. Unauthorized connections and damaged or leaning poles must be addressed to protect citizens’ safety.

He also directed officials to distribute garbage bins in squares and main streets, ensure their regular maintenance, prevent waste accumulation around schools, remove street encroachments and street vendors, and instruct shop owners to place plastic garbage bins in front of their establishments. Cleanliness efforts in villages are also to be monitored in cooperation with civil society organizations.

During the meeting, the Governor directed the Deputy Director of the Awqaf Directorate to instruct mosque imams to use Friday sermons to raise citizens’ awareness of religious, social, and national issues, encourage positive engagement, and promote the preservation of national stability.

The Governor further directed heads of cities, districts, and neighborhoods, in coordination with Environmental Affairs officials, to monitor any damage to trees in streets, squares, and gardens, strictly prohibit tree cutting, and take legal action against violations. He also called for continued implementation of the presidential “100 Million Trees” initiative and expanding tree planting at the main entrances to cities across the governorate.

The Governor also stressed the need to prevent rice-straw fires and ensure that those involved in rice-straw recycling obtain the required permits from the Waste Management Regulatory Authority.