A beautiful girl dances on stage. Her body sways with the loud music. On the dancefloor, a woman and man dance to the rhythms, both wearing a smile. Talking is useless here. Words become attempts at guessing, reading lips, which requires doubled concentration given the dim lighting. The loud music, accompanied with the increasing alcohol in the dancers’ blood, creates a festive atmosphere of melodies amdst the crossed beams of faint lights.

A beautiful girl dances on stage. Her body sways with the loud music. On the dancefloor, a woman and man dance to the rhythms, both wearing a smile. Talking is useless here. Words become attempts at guessing, reading lips, which requires doubled concentration given the dim lighting. The loud music, accompanied with the increasing alcohol in the dancers’ blood, creates a festive atmosphere of melodies amdst the crossed beams of faint lights.

Cabarets, casinos and pubs are all labels for places providing the same commodity in different forms. Cabarets present various oriental dancing and singing programs; casinos present light art programs; and pubs serve alcoholic drinks and provide a dance floor.

Cabarets, bars and casinos are not only similar in terms of content, but also design and construction. They are usually stand-alone buildings, not located inside residential buildings. Strict architectural and security requirements must be observed, such as having two exits (one solely for emergencies), a specified number of visitors, a specified number of chairs and the availability of health and safety measures, including firefighting equipment.

Beers at bakeries

The public shops law of 1956 states that groceries, bakeries, cafés and restaurant are allowed to sell alcoholic drinks under license. The number of licenses is specified by the Ministry of Local Administration. Many arenas of pleasure, however, such as casinos, are designated entirely for foreign tourists, with restrictive entry policies in operation for Egyptians. 

The government considers public shop licenses personal, i.e. granted to the shop owner not to the shop, and when the owner passes away, the license is revoked. This law also specifies the streets and neighborhoods where opening such shops is permitted based on the proposals of municipal councils.

Attention to detail and the client’s needs are a huge part of the culture of ‘public shops’. Snacks like nuts and fruits are served on a tray covered with animal-shaped tinfoil.  Male workers light cigarettes for  a female customer as soon as the cigarette reaches her lips; female staff peel a banana for a client and bring it closer to his mouth. Workers tend to be very customer-focused for tips.

Such gestures are said to offset the conservative restrictions on dance routines. These restrictions start with dancers’ costumes. A dancer’s belly must not be exposed and the lowest third part of her breasts must be covered. She must also wear shorts under the dance costume skirt. The open parts of the costume must not expose the body when standing still. Moreover, a dancer must obtain a special license from the Ministry of Culture specifying her workplace.

‘Bars’ banned

The word ‘bar’ has been banned in Eygpt since 1973, when former president Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat (1918 – 1981) outlawed the use of the word. Places serving alcoholic drinks could no longer show this word on their signboards. They were obligated by the law to be ambiguously described as “tourist restaurants.” Following al-Sadat’s death, the law has not been reformed and many Egyptians can only enter as guests of tourists.  Most of these establishments now belong to the Ministry of Tourism.

Restrictions also apply to the sale of alcohol. Alcohol drinks can only be sold in certain places and may not be sold during several Islamic occasions. Recently, taxes amounting to 250 percent were imposed on beer after the Egyptian Parliament endorsed a VAT policy. Taxes on wine and other alcoholic drinks have not exceeded 150 percent.

The shows in each place must be defined, be they a singer with a musical band or a dancer with musicians. The number of people must be specified. All band members and singers must be registered with the Musician Association and dancers must also be registered with the Ministry of Culture. Each venue must submit a brief summary of the program to the Ministry of Culture two days in advance of each show.

More than a hangover

In the early hours of the morning, especially on weekends, the laughter of customers spilling out from publics shops resounds throughout the almost-empty streets. Egyptians caught leaving such institutions however risk prison sentences of between two weeks to six months as a drinking penalty. Offenders may also be fined.