Print Print edition: 2011-02-21

Egyptian banks open

Published Updated

Banks opened on Sunday after a week-long closure as Egypt's economy struggled to get back on its feet after political turmoil caused by the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak and subsequent labour protests.
New military rulers watched closely as many Egyptians resumed their jobs on the first day of the working week, after issuing a stern warning effectively banning labour protests and telling workers to abandon their revolutionary fervour.
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the pyramids at Giza were among the tourist sites that were reopened to the public for the first time in some three weeks. Egypt's lucrative tourist sector was dealt a body blow as foreigners stayed away due to unrest.
There were some pockets of protest in Cairo.
There were no signs of the worker protests outside the state banks that erupted last Sunday and prompted the central bank to shut down state and private banks for the rest of the week.
Sunday was the seventh day that banks had opened their doors for business since January 27, when they were closed two days after protests broke out against the 30-year iron rule of Mubarak and swept him from power in just 18 days, shaking the Middle East.