Tourism Deal Puts One Of Egypt's Last Wild Shores At Risk
Off Ras Hankorab, the endangered green turtles weave between coral gardens that marine biologists call among the most resilient to climate change in the world.
By night in nesting season, they crawl ashore under the Milky Way's glow, undisturbed by artificial lights.
So when excavators rolled onto the sand in March, reserve staff and conservationists sounded the alarm.
Thousands signed a petition to "Save Hankorab" after discovering a contract between an unnamed government entity and an investment company to build a resort.
The environment ministry -- which has jurisdiction over the park -- protested, construction was halted and the machinery quietly removed.
But months later, parliamentary requests for details have gone unanswered, and insiders say the plans remain alive.
"Only certain kinds of tourism development work for a beach like this," said Mahmoud Hanafy, a marine biology professor and scientific adviser to the Red Sea governorate.
"Noise, lights, heavy human activity -- they could destroy the ecosystem."
Hankorab sits inside Wadi al-Gemal National Park, declared a protected area in 2003.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) describes it as home to "some of the last undisturbed natural beaches on the Southern Red Sea coast" -- an area now caught between environmental protection and Egypt's urgent push for investment.
Egypt, mired in its worst economic crisis in decades, is betting big on its 3,000 kilometres of coastline as a revenue source.
A $35-billion deal with the United Arab Emirates to develop Ras al-Hekma on the Mediterranean set the tone, and similar proposals for the Red Sea have followed.
The Red Sea -- where tourism is the main employer -- is key to Cairo's plan to attract 30 million visitors by 2028, double today's numbers.
Yet the UNDP warned as early as 2019 that Egyptian tourism growth had "largely been at the expense of the environment".
Since then, luxury resorts and gated compounds have spread along hundreds of kilometres, displacing communities and damaging fragile habitats.
"The goal is to make as much money as possible from developing these reserves, which means destroying them," said environmental lawyer Ahmed al-Seidi.
"It also violates the legal obligations of the nature reserves law."
At Hankorab, Hanafy says the core problem is legal.
"The company signed a contract with a government entity other than the one managing the reserve," he said.
If true, Seidi says, the deal is "null and void".
When construction was reported in March, MP Maha Abdel Nasser sought answers from the environment ministry and the prime minister --- but got none.
At a subsequent meeting, officials could not identify the company behind the project, and no environmental impact report was produced.
Construction is still halted, "which is reassuring, at least for now", Abdel Nasser said. "But there are no guarantees about the future."
For now, the most visible change is a newly built gate marked "Ras Hankorab" in Latin letters.
Entry now costs 300 Egyptian pounds ($6) -- five times more than before -- with tickets that do not name the issuing authority.
An employee who started in March recalls that before the project there were "only a few umbrellas and unusable bathrooms".
Today, there are new toilets, towels and sun loungers, with a cafe and restaurant promised soon.
The legal and environmental uncertainty remains, leaving Hankorab's future -- and the management of one of Egypt's last undisturbed Red Sea beaches -- unresolved. Tourists gather at the beach at Ras Hankorab on the Red Sea in southern Egypt AFP The UN Development Programme describes Ras Hankorab as home to "some of the last undisturbed natural beaches on the Southern Red Sea coast" -- an area now caught between environmental protection and Egypt's urgent push for investment AFP A tourist walks past signs warning people not to disturb the local marine life and wildlife at the beach at the Ras Hankorab AFP
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Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Tourism Deal Puts One Of Egypt's Last Wild Shores At Risk
In Egypt's Wadi al-Gemal, where swimmers share a glistening bay with sea turtles, a shadowy tourism deal is threatening one of the Red Sea's last wild shores. Off Ras Hankorab, the endangered green turtles weave between coral gardens that marine biologists call among the most resilient to climate change in the world. By night in nesting season, they crawl ashore under the Milky Way's glow, undisturbed by artificial lights. So when excavators rolled onto the sand in March, reserve staff and conservationists sounded the alarm. Thousands signed a petition to "Save Hankorab" after discovering a contract between an unnamed government entity and an investment company to build a resort. The environment ministry -- which has jurisdiction over the park -- protested, construction was halted and the machinery quietly removed. But months later, parliamentary requests for details have gone unanswered, and insiders say the plans remain alive. "Only certain kinds of tourism development work for a beach like this," said Mahmoud Hanafy, a marine biology professor and scientific adviser to the Red Sea governorate. "Noise, lights, heavy human activity -- they could destroy the ecosystem." Hankorab sits inside Wadi al-Gemal National Park, declared a protected area in 2003. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) describes it as home to "some of the last undisturbed natural beaches on the Southern Red Sea coast" -- an area now caught between environmental protection and Egypt's urgent push for investment. Egypt, mired in its worst economic crisis in decades, is betting big on its 3,000 kilometres of coastline as a revenue source. A $35-billion deal with the United Arab Emirates to develop Ras al-Hekma on the Mediterranean set the tone, and similar proposals for the Red Sea have followed. The Red Sea -- where tourism is the main employer -- is key to Cairo's plan to attract 30 million visitors by 2028, double today's numbers. Yet the UNDP warned as early as 2019 that Egyptian tourism growth had "largely been at the expense of the environment". Since then, luxury resorts and gated compounds have spread along hundreds of kilometres, displacing communities and damaging fragile habitats. "The goal is to make as much money as possible from developing these reserves, which means destroying them," said environmental lawyer Ahmed al-Seidi. "It also violates the legal obligations of the nature reserves law." At Hankorab, Hanafy says the core problem is legal. "The company signed a contract with a government entity other than the one managing the reserve," he said. If true, Seidi says, the deal is "null and void". When construction was reported in March, MP Maha Abdel Nasser sought answers from the environment ministry and the prime minister --- but got none. At a subsequent meeting, officials could not identify the company behind the project, and no environmental impact report was produced. Construction is still halted, "which is reassuring, at least for now", Abdel Nasser said. "But there are no guarantees about the future." For now, the most visible change is a newly built gate marked "Ras Hankorab" in Latin letters. Entry now costs 300 Egyptian pounds ($6) -- five times more than before -- with tickets that do not name the issuing authority. An employee who started in March recalls that before the project there were "only a few umbrellas and unusable bathrooms". Today, there are new toilets, towels and sun loungers, with a cafe and restaurant promised soon. The legal and environmental uncertainty remains, leaving Hankorab's future -- and the management of one of Egypt's last undisturbed Red Sea beaches -- unresolved. Tourists gather at the beach at Ras Hankorab on the Red Sea in southern Egypt AFP The UN Development Programme describes Ras Hankorab as home to "some of the last undisturbed natural beaches on the Southern Red Sea coast" -- an area now caught between environmental protection and Egypt's urgent push for investment AFP A tourist walks past signs warning people not to disturb the local marine life and wildlife at the beach at the Ras Hankorab AFP
DW
09-06-2025
- DW
What does Trump's new travel ban mean? – DW – 06/09/2025
President Donald Trump's order banning citizens of 12 countries, now in effect, aims to protect the US from "foreign terrorists." What are the reasons and who is exempt? This time, it's not a new executive order but a presidential proclamation that has caused a worldwide stir. The policy signed by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday is entitled "Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats" and takes effect on June 9. Like executive orders, presidential proclamations are one of the instruments with which a US president can implement the administration's will, particularly regarding national security and immigration. Unlike laws, these documents do not require the approval of Congress. However, they must be based on powers granted by law. In terms of content, Trump's new proclamation ties in with previous travel bans imposed during his first term as president, which the Supreme Court upheld in 2018. Which countries are affected? The proclamation bans entry to the US for all nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, regardless of their reasons for travel, unless the State Department deems their entry into the US to be in the national interest. In addition to these 12 countries, people from seven additional nations will face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Stricter visa checks and restrictions will apply, but these will also be case-dependent. A wealthy businessperson might be allowed to enter, while tourists or students could face higher hurdles. Trump issues travel ban for people from 12 countries To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Trump cites Boulder, Colorado attack In a video published on social media, Trump cited the June 1 attack in Boulder, Colorado as his reason for the order, saying it "underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted." He also said nationals from certain countries posed "significant risks" of overstaying their visas. An Egyptian man has been charged with injuring several people when he hurled Molotov cocktails at a demonstration in Boulder calling for the release of Hamas-held hostages in Gaza. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, he had overstayed his tourist visa. Egypt is not listed in Trump's newest proclamation. In the proclamation, the Republican president argues that the countries affected by the new travel ban do not provide enough information on their nationals to assess potential security risks. Some of the countries listed — Iran and Cuba, for example — have been designated by Washington as "state sponsors of terrorism." This new ban will tighten up already existing measures. The Trump administration has criticized the fact that some countries do not take back their nationals when the US requires them to leave. However, critics have speculated that the ban has political and economic reasons, pointing out that Saudi Arabia and other countries, with which the Trump family has close business ties, will not be affected. Trump said other countries could be added to the list in future Image: Leah Millis/REUTERS Who will be exempt from new restrictions? Green Card holders dual nationals with a US passport athletes and coaches participating in "major" competitions in the US Afghan nationals, who worked for or on behalf of the US government or ISAF, with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) Iranian nationals with immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran foreign diplomats and representatives of international organizations on official visits to the US close relatives of US citizens (parents, children, spouses) adopted children of US citizens certain foreign national employees of the US government who have served abroad for at least 15 years those who were granted asylum or admitted to the US as refugees before the ban came into effect If not exempt, nationals from the banned countries will no longer be able to enter the US from June 9 for business trips, educational travel or family visits. The decision is also likely to have economic repercussions. The poorer countries on the list in particular, such as Haiti and Yemen, have benefited from trade ties with the US, as well as remittances sent by people living and working in the US. Human rights groups have slammed the travel ban as being racist and discriminatory, pointing out that refugees and asylum-seekers from conflict regions will now lose access to protection programs in the US. Harvard students from China, Taiwan in limbo To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Trumps targets Harvard University Trump also announced specific measures to block new foreign students from attending Harvard University, whom he accused of developing "extensive entanglements with foreign countries, including our adversaries" and flouting "the civil rights of its students and faculty." "I have determined that it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University," Trump stated in his proclamation. Initially, entry to almost all foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in educational programs at Harvard will be suspended for six months. The suspension period could be extended. The US State Department will be directed to examine whether to revoke the existing visas of students at the university. In a statement, Harvard said this was "yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights." Earlier this year, Harvard President Alan Garber wrote that the university, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, would not "surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights." This article was originally written in German.
DW
09-06-2025
- DW
What does Trump's new travel ban mean? – DW – 06/05/2025
President Donald Trump's order banning citizens of 12 countries aims to protect the US from "foreign terrorists." What are the reasons and who is exempt? This time, it's not a new executive order but a presidential proclamation that has caused a worldwide stir. The policy signed by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday is entitled "Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats" and takes effect on June 9. Like executive orders, presidential proclamations are one of the instruments with which a US president can implement the administration's will, particularly regarding national security and immigration. Unlike laws, these documents do not require the approval of Congress. However, they must be based on powers granted by law. In terms of content, Trump's new proclamation ties in with previous travel bans imposed during his first term as president, which the Supreme Court upheld in 2018. Which countries are affected? The proclamation bans entry to the US for all nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, regardless of their reasons for travel, unless the State Department deems their entry into the US to be in the national interest. In addition to these 12 countries, people from seven additional nations will face partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Stricter visa checks and restrictions will apply, but these will also be case-dependent. A wealthy businessperson might be allowed to enter, while tourists or students could face higher hurdles. Trump issues travel ban for people from 12 countries To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Trump cites Boulder, Colorado attack In a video published on social media, Trump cited the June 1 attack in Boulder, Colorado as his reason for the order, saying it "underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted." He also said nationals from certain countries posed "significant risks" of overstaying their visas. An Egyptian man has been charged with injuring several people when he hurled Molotov cocktails at a demonstration in Boulder calling for the release of Hamas-held hostages in Gaza. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, he had overstayed his tourist visa. Egypt is not listed in Trump's newest proclamation. In the proclamation, the Republican president argues that the countries affected by the new travel ban do not provide enough information on their nationals to assess potential security risks. Some of the countries listed — Iran and Cuba, for example — have been designated by Washington as "state sponsors of terrorism." This new ban will tighten up already existing measures. The Trump administration has criticized the fact that some countries do not take back their nationals when the US requires them to leave. However, critics have speculated that the ban has political and economic reasons, pointing out that Saudi Arabia and other countries, with which the Trump family has close business ties, will not be affected. Trump said other countries could be added to the list in future Image: Leah Millis/REUTERS Who will be exempt from new restrictions? • Green Card holders • Dual nationals with a US passport • Athletes and coaches participating in "major" competitions in the US • Afghan nationals, who worked for or on behalf of the US government or ISAF, with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) • Iranian nationals with immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran • Foreign diplomats and representatives of international organizations on official visits to the US • Close relatives of US citizens (parents, children, spouses) • Adopted children of US citizens • Certain foreign national employees of the US government who have served abroad for at least 15 years • Those who were granted asylum or admitted to the US as refugees before the ban came into effect If not exempt, nationals from the banned countries will no longer be able to enter the US from June 9 for business trips, educational travel or family visits. The decision is also likely to have economic repercussions. The poorer countries on the list in particular, such as Haiti and Yemen, have benefited from trade ties with the US, as well as remittances sent by people living and working in the US. Human rights groups have slammed the travel ban as being racist and discriminatory, pointing out that refugees and asylum-seekers from conflict regions will now lose access to protection programs in the US. Harvard students from China, Taiwan in limbo To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Harvard University targeted Trump also announced specific measures to block new foreign students from attending Harvard University, whom he accused of developing "extensive entanglements with foreign countries, including our adversaries" and flouting "the civil rights of its students and faculty." "I have determined that it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University," Trump stated in his proclamation. Initially, entry to almost all foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in educational programs at Harvard will be suspended for six months. The suspension period could be extended. The US State Department will be directed to examine whether to revoke the existing visas of students at the university. In a statement, Harvard said this was "yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights." Earlier this year, Harvard President Alan Garber wrote that the university, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, would not "surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights." This article was originally written in German.
