Beach access

The summer season is in full swing but the colourful umbrellas of Alexandria's beaches are few and far between. Amira El-Noshokaty investigates seaside dilemmas

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Those who can't afford beach prices are forced onto the street; picnicking on the sidewalk; empty 'private' beaches

Summer in Alexandria had a tradition of its own: come sunrise, families would head to the beach and pick the best spot for their umbrellas. A father carrying a colourful umbrella, folded wooden chairs and accompanied by an unruly family equipped with floaties and buckets has been a typical Alexandrine summer scene for a great many decades. Even in recent years, a day of fun at the beach would cost 25 piastres for nominal fees -- picnic baskets and water coolers took care of the rest.

Near Beir Masoud, one woman and her small children are braving the traffic of the six-lane expanded Corniche; a faded-red umbrella carried by the eldest son. "Today, using the public beach is quite expensive," laments Zeinab Ahmed, a Cairene housewife who now must pay LE2 as nominal fees -- which in some areas goes up to LE12; this, illegally imposed by what is commonly referred to as the umbrella mafia. Not to mention an additional 50 piastres each time she or a family member uses the public beach toilet or shower facilities. Further, food and drink must now be procured from those who lease the beaches from the governorate.

Welcome to the public beaches of Alexandria. "All of Alexandria's beaches, outside of those managed by associations, are leased to the private sector," Ihab Farouk, head of the Central Department of Tourism and Summer Resorts at the Alexandria Governorate told Al-Ahram Weekly. "The fee that may be charged at 40 per cent of these beaches is set at LE2, while the rest can charge higher prices," he added. The result has been the over- crowding of the cheaper, smaller, beaches and the dismal sight of closed umbrellas and empty chairs throughout the rest of the beach-front. And those who can afford to use the more expensive sections of the beach-front complain of the lack of cleanliness, high entrance fees and obligatory tips.

Prompted by widespread complaints, the Alexandria City Council announced earlier this month that it would re-assess beach services and pricing. The flurry of interest is prompted by the need to attract more visitors to Alexandria, what with the beaches this year -- so far -- looking dismally empty. And while the public looks forward to action that will return the beaches to the majority of people, the irk of the private sector has been riled.

According to Samir Hemaya, legal councillor for the Panorama Company which leases Miami beach, business is not as good as it used to be. "The beach rental fees are constantly being raised," Hemaya told the Weekly.

Miami beach is around 500 metres long with a capacity of 700 umbrellas. This summer the company estimates it will rent-out a maximum of 250 umbrellas a day to visitors.

"A few years ago, the governorate started to charge beach lease holders triple the amount for fresh water use, thus obliging them to charge vacationers for water facility usage. And this summer, DJ music on the beach was banned during the evening. The ban has sent many families to the north coast where there is night life," he added.

This year Panorama claims it has paid the governorate LE1.7 million, an amount that must be recovered in the 70-some days that comprise the summer season. Meanwhile, almost half of Miami beach has been incorporated into the expanded Corniche, bringing beach facilities closer to the sea and rendering them vulnerable to winter storms. "It cost us around LE100,000 to repair the damage of the winter season," said Hemaya adding that "hence the prices we are charging are relatively high."

But the government says it will no longer tolerate any excuses for shoddy private management of the beach or exorbitant fees. "By 31 December 2004 all the beach leases will expire. We will then re-allocate the beach front," explained Farouk. He acquiesced that the price controlled beaches are badly located and seldom provided with appropriate services.

To adress the shortcoming the government has said it will divide the Alexandria beaches into three categories: "touristic", for relatively high fees, " momaiez", or distinctive, at nominal fees, and public. The new division will grant the public vaster space and more beach, equal to that of the "touristic" beaches, governorate officials say.

This process has already started according to Farouk. "Glim beach is 100 per cent free, as are Kilo 21, Al-Max and the Demitri beaches." To circumvent "the umbrella mafia", the government has provided these beaches with permanent bamboo shades.

At Glim, Shameya Abdel-Rahman, a housewife from Baqous, was waiting for her kids to get out of the water. "Last summer I could not afford to use the beach daily. I had to pay LE5 for the umbrella and LE2 for the chair," recalled Abdel-Rahman with a sigh of relief.

According to Kamal Mekki, consultant for Family Beach -- the company that laid out the beach -- the beach was opened for the public almost one month ago. "At first people could not believe it was for free," he recounts.

This may be a step in the right direction, but so far the extent to which the government has developed this prototype is well below need. Meanwhile, summer in Alexandria now features a new 'scene': families setting up their picnic gear on the Corniche sidewalk -- just outside the beach-frong they can no longer afford.

"They have taken away our beaches," lamented Mohamed Abdu, an old time Alexandria resident "Alexandria used to be special because anyone could just walk out of his house and head for the beach. It seems those are days gone."