Sharm El-Sheikh

With its unique location in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, it is considered the strategic passageway, the meeting point between Asia and Africa, and the cradle of great civilizations.

It is no wonder that the stories of heavenly religions that dawned on humanity can be eloquently narrated by the soil of Sinai.

With its diverse features of environment that combine together history, tourism, industry and agriculture, it has become a main attraction for tourists, travelers and businessmen.
Sharm El-Sheikh, the biggest and most important city of Sinai, lies at the southern flank of the Peninsula where the two gulfs of Aqaba and Suez meet with the Red Sea.

Sharm El-Sheikh, apart from its military strategic position, was considered for more than 25 years an isolated part of Egypt. Only after the liberation war and Egypt’s victory in 1973, and the ensuing peace agreement, the wonderful city of Sharm El-Sheikh emerged as a promising resort laden with many prospective potentials of prosperity. Since then a new era emerged in the history of Sinai and its largest city.

The Land of Peace
The city of Sharm El-Sheikh is always referred to as the "Land of Peace" as many political, scientific and tourist conferences and meetings were held over its land.

President Mubarak hosted numerous key figures and held many conferences with the aim of promoting world peace at large. Among these conferences are:

1- The 1996 Peace Making Summit that was attended by many Arab and foreign Heads of State.

2- The G-15 Summit was held for the first time in Egypt in 1998 in Sharm El Sheikh .This Summit is held in rotation only in one of the group States.

3- Concluding Wye River Agreement between the Palestinians represented by their leader Yasser Arafat and Israel represented by the then Prime Minister Barak in September 1999. King Abdullah of Jordan, President Mubarak and US Secretary of State Albright also attended the meeting.

4- Sharm El-Sheikh trilateral Summit, which was attended by President Mubarak, Arafat and Barak aiming at boosting the peace process prior to the Palestinian-Israeli meeting in Camp David.

5- President Mubarak and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdullah summit met in Sharm El-Sheikh to review Arab situation, peace process and bilateral cooperation.

6- The trilateral summit that gathered President Mubarak, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to discuss the ongoing peace process in the Middle East with special emphasis on the Syrian-Palestinian tracks of negotiations.

7- President Mubarak and Al Assad summit in 1998 to review the bilateral relations and the latest developments on the Syrian-Turkish level in view of Adana Security Agreement between the two countries. They also handled the peace process and the possibility of resuming negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.

8- The bilateral summit between the two leaders of Egypt and Jordan to discuss the deteriorating situation in the occupied territories and to pave the way for an Arab Summit.

9- Sharm El-Sheikh Summit held on October 17, 2000, was considered a pioneering step on the part of President Mubarak besides his call for the international community and the United States to put an end to acts of violence triggered by Israel in the occupied territories. The summit was also attended by the US President Bill Clinton, King Abdullah of Jordan, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Barak and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan . On the sidelines of this summit, various meetings with the African, Arab and European countries were held.

The meetings of Sharm El-Sheikh were not only confined to political ones and the city began hosting various industrial, economic and tourist conferences.

10- In September 2000 the city hosted the Strategic Group Meeting for the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

11- Donors Conference, February 5, 2002

12- Arab-American summit, June 3, 2003. The summit discussed the Middle East peace process, the situation in Iraq and fighting terrorism.

As peace is an eloquent reminder of the fruits of peaceful coexistence on one hand and the horror of war on the other hand, we should impart in the new generations the dire need for peace based on justice and equality.

Under the motto of comprehensive and just peace, Sharm El-Sheikh city hosts groups of youths from the four corners of the world to set their camps over its land. Under the banner of peace and friendship, these gatherings of different faiths, races and colors met in love and fraternity.

At Sharm El- Sheikh, a work camp comprising some 150 participants from 20 European, Asian, African and Arab countries held their conference in the Juvenile ’s Village at Ras Nusrani in August 1997.

In 1998 another camp was organized with 300 youths from 30 countries participating in an atmosphere of friendship and love for peace, voicing their keenness on achieving world peace.

In 1999 fifty countries joined these camps, which have become one of Sharm El-Sheikh landmarks. Participants in these camps usually demonstrate their firm adherence to just and comprehensive peace. These camps include different kinds of sports and cultural games.

Tourist attractions

Sharm El-Sheikh city offers a variety of tourist attractions ranging from a dramatic mountain backdrop to stretches of golden beaches on matchless waters.

Coral reefs, under water and marine life, unmatched anywhere in the world, offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers. There is wide room for scientific tourism with diversity in marine life species; 250 different coral reefs and 1000 species of fish.

These natural resources together with its proximity to European tourism markets have stimulated the rapid growth of tourism boom that the region is currently experiencing. The Bedouin culture with the colorful handicraft stands alone as a scene worth visiting.

At the south borderline of the city lies Ras Mohammed, which has been declared as a National Park in 1983. The park contains a variety of stunning geological features, including uplifted coral reefs, alluvial plains, Wadis (valleys), granite and Sandstone Mountains and soft dunes.

Ras Mohamed is also home to many terrestrial species including foxes, gazelles, reptiles, ibexes and migratory birds such as White Storks and Raptors.

There is also a forest of Mangroves trees, which provide valuable breeding areas with habitat for both birds and fish.

This marine national park is considered to be one of the most interesting diving sites in the world, with much diversity and rich coral life, some thousand different fish species and 150 coral types.

Nabq Park borders the city from the north. It is an outstanding natural area containing varied ecosystems and habitat types. Between which is the Mangroves (Avicenniz marina) -one of the most important species combined with 134 plant species spread across the park.

Visitor of Sharm El-Sheikh city will get a glimpse of cultural and religious tourism by visiting historical sites available at an arm’s stretch.

At the East of the city lies The Monastery of St. Catherine. It is one of the very few early Christian building complexes that have not been destroyed or reconstructed several times over the centuries. The monastery spiritual heritage is beyond estimation.

Its architecture wall, paintings, codices, icons, historical documents, and illuminated manuscripts represent great treasures of the world’s Legacy. The monastery is still functioning and hosting around 22 Greek Orthodox monks.

Mount St. Catherine is the highest peak in Egypt, towering up to 2,641 meters above sea level. There, stands at 2,285-meter high mount Moses, which is renowned as the place where Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Muslim, Christian and Jewish pilgrims come from all over the world to watch the moments of sunrise from the peak. On a clear day eyesight can cover over all Sinai and even reach the sea.

Populations

Bedouins as the native population of the desert retain their traditional rights and continue to occupy their settlements.

Many Bedouins were employed in several tourist projects as guides to the desert, as rangers for the National Parks of Nabq and Ras Mohamed. They also provide services to the protectorates.

Nevertheless, Sharm El-Sheikh, as a growing city with all its assets, attracted new labors from all over Egypt as well as from the European cities.

Most of the population is working in the tourism, construction, health and education sectors. The total inhabitants of Sharm El Sheikh hit some 35000. Those are accommedated in 9700 housing units, 3% of which are owned by the indigenous residents (Bedouins), 11% provided through government housing program, and 86% is mainly tourist lodges.

Growing Tourism industry

The tourism industry plays a vital role in boosting Egypt’s economy. It will continue in the future, to be a key contributor to GNP, foreign exchange, employment generation, regional development, and population redistribution. Over the longer term, it may have additional ancillary impacts, such as promoting environmental improvement, infrastructure development, modernization, and workforce expansion.

The city has turned to a hub of activities to meet the promising investment prospects. New beaches were expanded and tourist villages were established to accommodate the flow of tourists who flock to enjoy the unique environmental facilities.

The increase in tourist influx and tourist nights was tremendous. The number of tourist arrivals increased from eight thousands in 1982 to 1.2 million in 2000.

Guest nights also increased in that period of time from 16 thousands to 5.1 million. The total number of resorts was increased from 3 in l982 to 91 in year 2000, therefore a highly reputable management companies have been attracted to invest in this city such as Hayat Regency, Accor, Marriot, Le Merredian, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and others, with categories between five stars to three stars.

Visitors of Sharm El-Sheikh experience a variety of water and land activities. Beach seekers find enormous activities such as diving, snorkeling, wind surfing, , pare sailing, banana boats, and canoes.

Adventurers and sportsmen find Sharm El-Sheikh a haven offering diverse activities such as golf, tennis, horseback riding, camel riding, volleyball, and desert safari to various oasis and wadies.

Services and utilities
The government exerts laborious effort to improve the road network, thereby making the area more accessible for tourists. At present the roads are connecting Sharm El-Sheikh with the different cities of Sinai and the Nile Valley.

Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport has been developed and expanded to receive big aircraft and the steady increase in the number of flights; it is accommodating now 1200 passenger/hour.

The port of Sharm El-Sheikh, which can accommodate different types of vessels, played an essential role in connecting the city with the world, besides smaller local ports for diving boats.
Substantial increase in the capacity of infrastructure components can be depicted:
* The capacity of telecommunications has increased to 10000-telephone line.
* The capacity of electricity has been increased to 202 mw.
* The capacity of potable water has been increased to 28500 m3/day.
* The capacity of sewage disposal has been increased to 22380m3 / day.

The city also includes a variety of services and facilities (health, educational, cultural, commercial, food courts, shopping centers, cinema, casinos, schools ...etc.), which serve both tourists and residents.

Planning

A hierarchical planning approach was adopted for the Gulf of Aqaba, whereby their components were evaluated and subdivided into zones, cities and centers. In accordance with this approach, the Gulf of Aqaba zone was subdivided into four cities: Taba, Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm El-Sheikh.

Sharm El-Sheikh city has been subdivided into five homogeneous centers namely: Nabq, Ras Nusrani, Naama Bay, Umm Sid and Sharm El Maya. Tourism industry in Sharm El-Sheikh is considered the core of development.

The development in the city offers an exclusive world of luxury and elegance. A fantasy world of space and style is there comprising glamorous low density resorts, exclusive sports’ facilities, unparalleled food courts and shopping centers.

The land plan shows that the total area of Sharm El-Sheikh is expected to be about 42 Km2, in the year 2017. This area is designed to include:
Tourism resorts 08.4%
Tourism Facilities 40.9%
Green & Open areas 12.3%
Social Services 09.9%
Roads 12.2%
Urban Housing 13.7%
Bedouin Housing 01.6%
Hand crafts & small industries 01.0%