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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Heritage Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Triumphant Sinai
By Mahmoud BakrLast month's celebration of Sinai Day, which commemorates the return of the lands of Sinai to Egypt on 25 April 1982, offered a timely occasion to turn our eyes towards the growth and development rapidly taking place in this remarkable region.
Numerous tourist and service projects have been highlighted as exemplars of successful development projects -- such as those at Dahab and Sharm Al-Sheikh -- as well as internal programmes developed for inhabitants of the region.
The government has funnelled some LE22 billion into South Sinai for programmes aimed at improving and integrating infrastructure. Mustafa Afifi, the governor of South Sinai, confirmed that not only is the governorate capable of accommodating half a million inhabitants through the year 2017, but by the end of the year 2000, the population of the governorate will have attained full literacy.
Afifi spoke of the measures being taken to both utilise and protect the area's precious environmental resources -- the life-blood of the region's booming tourist industry and a hotly-contested issue among environmentalists. Noting that some beaches will continue to be open to the public, Afifi emphasised that safety and cleanliness will remain the standard. "We will draw on the lessons learned from the experience of Sharm Al-Sheikh," he said, vowing that "our natural resources will be preserved and environmental awareness enhanced as a vital requirement today."
Total investment in tourist projects has reached the LE15 billion mark. In Sharm Al-Sheikh, 77 hotels are in operation, and could increase to 100 by the end of the current year. There are 14 public beaches in use and investors are looking into building a "tourist village" in the Hammam Musa region that has already been approved by the investment committee in the governorate.
Plans are under way for the construction of a museum in Sharm Al-Sheikh, to be financed by the Ministry of Culture. Another project approved for the governorate is a "cultural caravan," which would shuttle between cities and villages in the governorate and provide a plethora of cultural services, like a library including children's books and documentary films with scientific themes.
With regard to the health sector, projects include expanding the existing services with the establishment of two new health centres, the Mubarak Military Hospital and the Mubarak International Hospital, as well as a deep-water medical centre and an emergency hospital. A protocol has been signed with the universities of Helwan, Cairo, Ain Shams and the Suez Canal, as well as with the armed forces, whereby medical staff would serve four days a week at the Sharm Al-Sheikh Hospital. Arrangements have also been made with the minister of health for doctors to spend 10 days a year in South Sinai. Two more up-to-date hospitals will also be built in Abu Rodeis and Saint Catherine. The development plan drawn up for the governorate is estimated to require investment in the order of LE254 million, Afifi said.
The governor explained that fishing has been banned in Sharm Al-Sheikh port because it is part of a natural reserve area. Fishermen living on some 35 fishing boats in the area were polluting the water just outside hotels along the port and the pollution caused a number of them to be closed down. The governor explained that he had also ordered the closure of some 24 quarrying operations that threatened the natural resources in the area and unscrupulously exploited Sinai's wealth of marble quarries.
A cave near Uyun Moussa, the hot springs located on the desert road between Cairo and Sharm Al-Sheikh
"We asked quarry exploiters to use modern equipment for quarrying operations," Afifi said, adding that owners of quarries are now required to adequately preserve the raw material reserves. Twenty-four such plants have been established in the city of Abu Zeneima, where investors were asked to set up their industrial projects.
Regarding Dahab, Afifi was most enthusiastic, asserting that the city represents the future of tourism in Egypt. With its splendid climate and varied natural resources, Dahab has much to offer tourists seeking a wide range of sports and recreational activities, including scuba diving, surfing and safaris to excellent locations like Wadil-Shaytan.
Development of the city, undertaken by the Society of Investors in Dahab, is aimed at preserving its unique pristine beauty while introducing the facilities and amenities sought by modern tourists. The upgrades under way are expected to be completed by next year, but Dahab is already on the map of world tourism. Afifi invited investors to capitalise on a propitious moment in the city's growth and assured youth of the job opportunities soon to unfold.
Addressing concerns about the largely unsupervised deep-sea diving practices in the area, Afifi confirmed that diving centres will be placed under close scrutiny and international certificates will be required for anyone who wishes to dive at Dahab. A society has been established to oversee these measures.
Mountain sites suitable for day-trips and activities are constantly being searched out and considered for organised tours. Song festivals, meant to draw internationally renowned singers are also being planned. As if this was not enough, gold has been discovered in the mountains of Dahab by an international company, now expected to expand its prospecting operations in other nearby areas.
According to Hassan Abul-Enein, chairman of the Society of Dahab Investors, there are 38 tourist projects being implemented in the city, amounting to nearly LE1 billion of investment. Future investments will considerably raise the city's hotel capacity and include the addition of four malls, one of which is already under construction.
Most projects planned for Dahab will be joint enterprises between Egyptian and foreign parties, either Italian, German or Swiss, Abul-Enein said. Speaking of projects executed to upgrade the city's environment, Abul-Enein noted that the society had already planted trees at the entrance to the city of Dahab and established a large public garden at a cost of LE88,000. The society is also publishing a booklet detailing Dahab's touristic possibilities.
In addition to Dahab, much has been said of the opportunities in the area of Taba, which is quickly developing into a tourist spot that rivals the buzz around Sharm Al-Sheikh and Dahab. Apart from the development of Sahet Al-Alam, projects planned to upgrade the area's facilities include building roads that can funnel torrential rains and flood water and the construction of a museum near Sahet Al-Alam to house documents from the negotiations with Israel about Egypt's sovereignty over Taba and the decision by the International Court of Justice in The Hague confirming this right. A five-star, 420-room hotel, as well as sports and recreational facilities, are all in the works and expected to be completed by next April.
Geologist Ahmed Shousha, manager of the Agency for Environmental Affairs in South Sinai, confirmed that all projects that had been implemented prior to the adoption of Environment Law No. 4 for 1994 had adjusted themselves to comply with the law. Today, an environmental impact assessment study is a requirement before any project in the region is approved, be it touristic, industrial or even a cottage industry.
Environmentally-conscious projects abound in South Sinai, particularly in popular Sharm Al-Sheikh. A project, in cooperation with the National Research Centre, will establish a large botanical garden, where medical plants and aromatic herbs will be cultivated. A forest is also being planted on an area of 100 feddans in the area, in cooperation with the Central Afforestation Department in the Ministry of Agriculture. The project, which is only in its first phase, will be irrigated with treated drainage water. Another similar project in Al-Tur has successfully been irrigating a 200-feddan forest with treated drainage water.
