Together with Lebanon’s Beirut city and Dubai, Cairo’s nightlife was one of the most vibrant in the Middle East and North African region. Known as the party capitals of the Middle East, the three were full of night fun and displayed the naughty side of Arab rarely showcased.
But even with comparisons, the Cairo’s nightlife has always been unique, blending the modern and traditional; the over-the-top shenanigans to the sedate and fun. Whether it was Cairo’s city line acting as the backdrop or the Red Sea providing the scenery, regional and international DJ’s and performers would be flown in to headline parties where tickets often went for as much as $500 per head.
You could enjoy Cirque du Soleil or even wild Spanish go-go dances, upping the risqué factor and offering scenes of opulent decadence.
But what these parties also staged, besides the fact that Egyptians knew how to have a good time, was the increasing gap between the rich and poor – one of the main factors that led to the January protests and an ever increasing sight in the developing world.
Post January 25, the day when thousands of Egyptians gathered to force the then leader President Hosni Mubarak out of power after three decades of rule, the usual places popular with Cairo fun lovers are not as crowded as before. And there are several reasons among them economic and change of rules governing public spaces.
Some of the capital’s hottest nightspots and lounges now run a very strict door policy where reservations are a must. A spot check last Thursday, usually the most in-demand night out as it’s the start of the weekend, revealed that most entertainment joint in the city are running half full with high handed bouncers mistreating revellers.
Some have even put this non-show by the city’s party animals as a sign of restraint and that the extravagance of the past has no place in today’s Egypt. Others say the bubble has burst. More practical reasons raised are financial.
Economically, things aren’t looking bright with country’s foreign investment down and revenue from tourism and remittances dwindling. Local production and manufacturing has also been hit hard; rising costs of food and other basic commodities have hit too. This has diverted money ment of r entertainment to basics.
But Mourad Haikal, manager of the ever popular Cairo Jazz Club, says that the situation is improving, even though in comparison to the same months the year before things are undoubtedly slow.
“It’s hard to measure exactly how much or badly most places are affected, but we all are, and it is very noticeable that punters expenditure has dropped in comparison to the past.”
The fact that is summer when most elites leave the city for the cooler Mediterranean north hasn’t made it better. Then is be the fasting month of Ramadan which is due to start in August and of the current uncertain political situation.
Curfew which until recently was at 2 AM did have its impact on the number of Cairo residents and tourists spending time out at night. This left most joint operating at a mere 30 per cent capacity – and with a complete front of house and kitchen staff; with salaries frozen especially during January when the whole country was at a standstill.