"Dawn Shift"... A parliamentary proposal sparks controversy over work hours in Egypt.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Gulf_Follow-ups: A parliamentary proposal in Egypt to change the lifestyle and way of living to start the day at dawn has sparked a wave of controversy and discussions on social media platforms, especially regarding the adjustment of working hours. The proposal has resonated with some, who have dubbed it "Dawn Hours," while others have rejected it. Local media outlets reported that MP Amal Abdel Hamid submitted a proposal to amend official working hours, so that they start from 5:00 AM to 12:00 PM, which would reflect on the productivity of workers in Egypt. With the proposal being widely circulated in the media and on social media, and the mixed reactions it generated, the MP returned to clarify in a statement on Tuesday that she is proposing that the Egyptians' day should start at 5:00 AM, and that some people misunderstood her request to only start working hours in government departments at 5:00 AM. The MP justified her request by saying that developed countries have only reached where they are by valuing work, adding: "We have a good example in the experiences of the Asian Tigers." She continued: "When our day in Egypt starts at 5:00 AM and ends at 12:00 PM... the Egyptian citizen will have plenty of time in his day to take care of the rest of his interests and needs." The MP justified her request by pointing out that "the current lifestyle has harmed the health and psychological state of Egyptians, and has negatively affected social and family relationships." The parliamentary proposal, which has not been officially discussed in parliament, has succeeded in sparking a public debate about working hours in Egypt, with social media users rushing to express their opinions on the proposal, with opinions divided between supporters and opponents. https://twitter.com/AmrFahmy2007/status/1957400234562043951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1957400234562043951%7Ctwgr%5E73676bf4572178621badda54169b65f39027e154%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Faawsat.com%2FD8A7D984D8B9D8A7D984D985-D8A7D984D8B9D8B1D8A8D98A%2FD8B4D985D8A7D984-D8A7D981D8B1D98AD982D98AD8A7%2F5176912-D8AFD988D8A7D985-D8A7D984D981D8ACD8B1-D985D982D8AAD8B1D8AD-D8A8D8B1D984D985D8A7D986D98A-D98AD988D982D8B8-D8A7D984D8ACD8AFD984-D8ADD988D984-D985D988D8A7D8B9D98AD8AF-D8A7D984D8B9D985D984-D981D98A-D985D8B5D8B1 A group of social media users expressed their support for the proposal, saying that it is an experiment worth studying. https://twitter.com/mohamudmoussa/status/1957644712501973259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1957644712501973259%7Ctwgr%5E73676bf4572178621badda54169b65f39027e154%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Faawsat.com%2FD8A7D984D8B9D8A7D984D985-D8A7D984D8B9D8B1D8A8D98A%2FD8B4D985D8A7D984-D8A7D981D8B1D98AD982D98AD8A7%2F5176912-D8AFD988D8A7D985-D8A7D984D981D8ACD8B1-D985D982D8AAD8B1D8AD-D8A8D8B1D984D985D8A7D986D98A-D98AD988D982D8B8-D8A7D984D8ACD8AFD984-D8ADD988D984-D985D988D8A7D8B9D98AD8AF-D8A7D984D8B9D985D984-D981D98A-D985D8B5D8B1 Those who supported the proposal shared among themselves the advantages of going to work early. The most prominent advantages, according to the users, were reducing energy consumption, giving employees more time to spend with their families, and performing the Fajr prayer in congregation. Another section of supporters also circulated words of the late Egyptian thinker and sociologist, Abdel Wahab El-Messiri, who said: "Even working hours themselves we imported from the West, and they are hours that are perfectly suited to their countries, but as for our countries, the appropriate working day can start after the Fajr prayer, and end at noon, so that people can resume their social life after Asr, and sleep after Isha prayer." https://twitter.com/protonmail1299/status/1957548457926758630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1957548457926758630%7Ctwgr%5E73676bf4572178621badda54169b65f39027e154%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Faawsat.com%2FD8A7D984D8B9D8A7D984D985-D8A7D984D8B9D8B1D8A8D98A%2FD8B4D985D8A7D984-D8A7D981D8B1D98AD982D98AD8A7%2F5176912-D8AFD988D8A7D985-D8A7D984D981D8ACD8B1-D985D982D8AAD8B1D8AD-D8A8D8B1D984D985D8A7D986D98A-D98AD988D982D8B8-D8A7D984D8ACD8AFD984-D8ADD988D984-D985D988D8A7D8B9D98AD8AF-D8A7D984D8B9D985D984-D981D98A-D985D8B5D8B1 On the other hand, a sector of social media users opposed the parliamentary proposal, questioning the ability to change the lifestyle of Egyptians, as the proposal "awakened" questions about the possibility of changing the lifestyle, and the possibility of implementing it on the ground. Others described the proposal as "unrealistic," and the idea is far from logical, and raises challenges for citizens in sectors such as education and transportation. Some also believed that the implementation of the proposal requires waking up from three in the morning, pointing out that this is "impractical" in light of the prevailing lifestyle in major cities, where late sleep has become a daily reality. In addition, the proposer received