By: Ahmed M. ELNAHAS – Castelfiorentino, September 29th 2012.
Before Mr. Kandeel the Prime Minister starts his visit to Sinai, the SIA (Sinai Investors Association) passed to the press that they plan to present him a list of suggestions and demands to promote the destination in a way to attract some 4 million tourists more!! On top of the list: “To convert South Sinai into a Free Zone”!
As always those so called investors care only for their benefits and protect only their own pockets.. They never took care of Egypt national interest.. For a very long time they were safely hiding behind the illusion of creating jobs and fighting against unemployment, and the outcome was that less than 1% of the Sinai natives found job in all these hotels, motels, casinos, brothels, restaurants...etc..
Even worse, as a result to the improvised expansion of their greed, the labour laws mutated to meet their pressures thus creating an entire population of Salary Slaves, unprotected, unassisted, uninsured and untrained.. Which brings us to the Supplied Product Problem: Hotels lacking professionalism, showmanship, innovative sales, and overall quality.
As the shoreline has limited natural resources due to the typography and structure of the peninsula itself, that uneducated and improvised expansion became damaging to the environment and a jeopardy to the demography.. Because if South Sinai is half full, it would host about 75000 tourists needing as much individuals for services and others for excursions and entertainment!!! Al of these will need to swim, to eat to evacuate of course.. The infrastructure is not up to the task. The shoreline is not adequate to receive them.. The reefs are not that accommodating because they are very sensitive creatures.. The sea fauna will escape if lucky to survive the daily bread feeding practices.
The evil mistake that those so called investors are doing is to increase the shops and boutiques in and out of their properties.. Having in the same area 100 cotton products shops (T-Shirts, Galabeyas, Foulards…etc) entails inevitably mass production with less quality to stand the competition topped by the rent and fixed expenses.. Same goes for jewelers, artisans, spas, hair dressers…etc..Obviously and inevitably the end result is that the entire destination becomes labelled “CHEAP”.
Those investors have sold Egypt for peanuts for long.. It's time to care for our environment and our fellow Egyptians to work with dignity and security (Bedouins included, because inclusion not exclusion that make the citizen committed to the collectivity).
Tell me Mr. Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment: “What measures did those investors took to protect the main attraction in the Gulf of Aqaba, and the entire Red Sea Coasts as well, The Coral Reefs and the Deserts?”.. I say Nothing..
· The mass tourism is still pouring in without any kind of restrictions at least on the type of sun creams and oils they use, which are extremely harmful to the environment as such products repose on the corals and suffocate them, creating a chain reaction of damaging events over the entire life cicle..
· No control whatsoever on their mistreating the Reefs and Corals by walking over and even tearing them off hoping to escape airport controls..
· Feeding the Red Sea Fauna is a crime still committed every day against few pounds to remain unpunished.. No significant controls on the sea safari boats waste and dark water disposal in the waters of our National Park which should've been more seriously protected..
· Quad Bikes and carts are still invading the dunes and plants of the desert even inside the National Parks without any kind of regulations.. The Desert needs only its creatures: Dromedaries and Horses, not quads, motorbikes and 4X4s.
And now those investors want a “Free Zone” ? So that the Eastern front would remain vulnerably wide open to the entire criminal package: Drugs, Counterfeits and Prostitution?! They argue it will be good for the national products.. Sure the ones they import from China at a penny and resell at a pound..
My friends and fellow Egyptians: if the wonderful natural beauties of the Gulf Of Aqaba remain mistreated that way soon we will not have anyone who is interested to see what once was the second best diving and snorkeling destination on our globe after the Australian great barrier.. You can see Mr. Prime Minister that I'm angry and disappointed.. Are you and your Cabinet going to do other than posing for some P.R. photos with the Investors and the helpless Tribal Elders??
Pass On The Word.
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