Amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, Sri Lanka has declared every Wednesday a public holiday to conserve fuel as the island nation grapples with possible shortages following the US and Israel’s war with Iran.“We must prepare for the worst, but hope for the best,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in an emergency meeting with senior officials on Monday. The announcement comes as part of a series of precautionary measures implemented by several Asian countries since the outbreak of the conflict.The war has disrupted the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route that moves millions of barrels of oil from the Gulf to global markets. About 90% of that oil and gas was bound for Asia, the world’s largest oil-importing region.Other Asian countries have also initiated reciprocal measures to deal with the growing energy crisis. In Thailand, officials are urging citizens to swap formal suits for short-sleeved shirts to reduce reliance on air conditioning. Myanmar has restricted private vehicle use to alternate days based on license plate numbers, the BBC reports. Bangladesh has declared university holidays during Ramzan and implemented planned blackouts to save electricity. In the Philippines, some government offices require employees to work from home at least one day a week and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has banned non-essential public sector travel. Vietnam is encouraging citizens to stay home, use bicycles, carpool or rely on public transportation, while restricting unnecessary vehicle use.In Sri Lanka, the new public holiday impacts not only government offices but also schools and universities. Essential services, including health and immigration authorities, will remain operational. To prevent three consecutive days of closure in government offices, officials chose Wednesday as a holiday.Additionally, motorists are now required to register for the National Fuel Pass, which regulates fuel purchases. The quota allows 15 liters for private cars and five liters for motorcycles. The rationing system was first introduced in 2022 during Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis, when the country ran out of foreign reserves and struggled to import essential goods, including fuel.Since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran late last month, global oil prices have surged to nearly $100 a barrel. The war has raised fears of disruption to regional supplies, prompting countries across Asia to implement various measures to deal with the crisis.