Egyptians are friendly and hospitable people and will make a warm effort to welcome you to their country. Egypt is still, however, a conservative country, and if you observe a few basics, your stay here will be more pleasant.
Dress conservatively, avoiding mini-skirts and bare-shouldered tops.
Avoid displays of affection in public, especially with members of the opposite sex.
When visiting a mosque or other religious memorial, a modest appearance is required. A woman’s hair should be covered when in a mosque and a man’s pants should cover his knees.
Personal Greetings
Human interaction is very important to Egyptians and greeting one another cheerfully and in a variety of ways is expected. Foreign nationals tend to be more reserved when greeting people and Egyptians can read this as being “unfriendly”. Learning a few basic Arabic words to greet and ask about a person’s family will help. You might find yourself being addressed as “effendem”, which is a very respectful term an Egyptian may use towards someone they regard highly.
Hospitality
Next to being religious and family oriented, an Egyptian is a firm believer in hospitality and warmth in human interaction. Egyptians entertain with generosity and charm. Hosts will spare little to ensure that their guests (duyuff) have the best.
Egyptians work late hours making it difficult for them to entertain or to arrive to parties much before 9pm in the evening. If it’s a dinner, though arrival is at nine, dinner may not be served until closer to 10:30pm or even later (except for Iftar, which is the breaking of the fast meal during Ramadan).
Contrary to other countries where coffee (ahwa) signals the beginning of a relaxed conversation, in Egypt it is often the signal to go.