Sinai News

Less than a week after receiving the EIA study, without proper study of the EIA report by ministry experts, the minister of environment approved the project due to strong pressure from the minister of Electricity complimentary.

General Information

The East Delta Electricity Production Company (EDEPC) in cooperation with the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) is conducting a gas/diesel fired combined-cycle power plant with a capacity of 750 MW at Nuweiba, on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, South Sinai Governorate. Nuweiba was chosen as one location among 6 others.

The power plant would be situated on 105000 square meters, in a valley run-off prone to floods, in close proximity to downtown Nuweiba and tourist facilities - hotels, dive centers, shops, bazaars, Bedouin suburbs, residential and administrative buildings, farms – and about 4 km from the port of Nuweiba.
The plant uses seawater for the cooling system: 1.3 cubic meter / day - discharged at temperatures 9 degrees higher than the ambient seawater.

Consequence of the projects:

Potential loss of livelihood:
The transformation of Nuweiba into an industrial precinct leads to the ultimate termination of tourist activities in Nuweiba and closure of tourist related businesses.

Socio-cultural Impact:
Nuweiba has no sufficient infrastructure in terms of: social services, administration, security, food/water supply, waste, roads, etc. to host more than 3000 workers during implementation of the project.
The foreign workforce will leave a negative impact on the indigenous people of Nuweiba, leading to its further marginalization as a social group, which might lead to social unrest, deepen already existing resentments.
Nuweiba is an attractive tourist destination known for its unspoiled environment. The power plant will be an ugly landmark visible from miles away distracting tourists and marking the end of tourism in Nuweiba.

Road Safety
The distance between Nuweiba and Suez is 350 km. The roads are not qualified for more transportation of heavy goods vehicles carrying building material, transportation of diesel fuel needed for the plant and the transportation of hazardous material / contaminated waste.
An increase in accidents involving tourist vehicles, already a problem, is to be expected on the roads between Nuweiba – Taba / Nuweiba – Sharm el Sheikh – Suez.
Wadi Watir, the direct asphalt road through the mountains, is often inaccessible during certain times of the year due to flood warnings.( In recent years ), parts of the asphalt road are frequently destroyed by flash floods.

Environmental Damage:
The Gulf of Aqaba water is protected under the law of natural protectorates 102/1983!
Intake/discharge issue: Interference in the natural food chain will irreparably alter the prolific marine eco-system.
During construction, extensive water works, and during operation, the rate of discharged thermal water and the use of chemicals to clean the pipes lead to sedimentation and subsequently to coral bleaching/death and hence to alteration of the ecosystem all along the coast of Nuweiba.
The plant will visually impact tourist destinations. The decrease in air quality in Nuweiba, and increase of noise pollution present potential health risks for Nuweiba residents and the environment.

(The above does not presume to portray the full extent of destruction caused by the power plant.)

Other Concerns:
Location of the plant: in a valley run-off area prone to floods
Disregard of the law 102/1983 of natural protectorates
EIA report: outdated and misinformation, incompetence
No access to the full EIA. Parts of the detailed EIA are not downloadable from the Internet.
The EIA was handed over to the EEAA Only around 10th of June 2009.
Less than a week later, without proper study of the EIA report by ministry experts, the minister of environment approved the project due to strong pressure from the minister of Electricity complimentary. They just changed the name of an already approved power plant at the Gulf of Suez. Legal steps will be taken from our side.
English is widely spoken and understood in Egypt, though this should not be taken for granted. The official language in Egypt is Arabic and unfortunately, an Arabic version/translation of the EIA does not exist.

The East Delta Electricity Production Company (EDEPC) in cooperation with the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) is conducting a gas/diesel fired combined-cycle power plant with a capacity of 750 MW at Nuweiba, on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, South Sinai Governorate. Nuweiba was chosen as one location among 6 others.
Since we learned about this madness we are busy informing the responsible authorities, the funding banks, the ministries and try to gain support. It would be the end to Nuweiba as you know it and the end to tourism in the area.
We need your support, too.
Please sign the online petition: Save Nuweiba and the fragile marine eco-system in the Gulf of Aqaba:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/stop-the-destruction-of-nuweiba-and-its-coral-reefs

So far we succeeded to make our voice heard.
The European Investment Bank promised to look into the issue and we are expecting visits of their representatives soon. The final decision has been delayed until September 8th.
The EEAA promised us the same and the Environmental assessment has now officially reached the Ministry of Environment. We are counting on them and common sense.

Read what HEPCA has to say: http://www.hepca.com/nuweiba-power-plant-environment-assesment.aspx

Updates follow.

Located at the Hilton and the Moevenpick hotels in Taba, Aqua Sport is fun in the Red Sea. Pedalo or banana boats, waterskiing or windsurfing just name it. A speed boat is available for hourly hire and the glass bottom boat offers fun for the entire family.
Aqua Sport, which developed in over three decades into one of the world’s most respected diving organizations – it was the fifth PADI training facility in the world to be recognised as such - offers all kind of different dive certificates.
The Introductory Dive is intended for all people of all ages who have never experienced SCUBA before. The purpose for these dives is not to teach how to dive but to share with you the wonders of the aquatic realm. The dive is to a maximum depth of 6 meters (18 feet), with your own personal qualified instructor accompanying you.
Diving courses from PADI Scuba Diver Courses to Dive Master Courses and specialties like TEC dives are in the program. Boat and shore dives and dive packages for the certified diver, there is almost everything a diver longs for.
Aqua Sport pioneered the concept of “Drive and Dive” exploring the Red Sea ’s most isolated and spectacular dive sites. Travelling by air-conditioned four-wheel drive jeeps and camping under a sky set with a million stars, this is an experience of magnificent contrasts - underwater beauty versus the mystique of the desert. Combing the coastlines of Sinai and Jordan, AS Red Sea diving safaris rank as one of the world’s most unique diving holidays.
The company’s ethos has been based on the twin pillars of:
1. Pioneering exploration of the Red Sea’s coral reefs; and
2. Training an increasingly environmentally aware public to scuba dive safely. As a courtesy from Sinai 4 You ask for a 5 % discount.

Eilat is just across the border. The border crossing is easy and depending on traffic it takes about 30 minutes and you are in a different world.
Here are a few things to do while in Eilat:
A must see is the Dolphin Reef which offers the unusual opportunity of meeting and observing dolphins in their natural habitat. The Dolphin Reef is just midway between Taba border and town center.
The Underwater Observatory Marine Park invites for a dry experience to observe fish. The observatory is built so that you stand in the middle and the fish swim around you in a huge circular tank. Other features are a variety of large outdoor pools for sharks and turtle and stingrays.
IMAX is the ultimate amusement park. You can’t miss the blue pyramid in the center of town featuring special live performances, 3D movies, moving cars and other multimedia presentations that take visitors through the natural world of earthquakes, hurricanes, outer space and the human brain.
Finish the day with a stroll along the promenade and some shopping. ‘Mul HaYam’ (as the name suggests, the mall is situated in the town center and opposite the sea) is close by and offers brand names and unusual gifts like the Elath Stone, a gemstone also called King Salomon’s Stone. A mixture of chrysocolla intergrown with turquoise and copperis explain its blue to green color. No two pieces of this stone are alike.
Coffee shops, bars and restaurant are abundant. Try the falafel shops: pitta bread filled with falafel and salads of your choice as much as you want.

It is Ramadan and everything slows down a bit in these days. Ramadan means that Muslims abstain from food and drink during the daylight hours for the next 29 – 30 days. It also means contemplation.
In Sinai there is a place where contemplation is part of life. Alexandria Beach is for the traveler who looks for simplicity and the feeling of oneness with nature and beyond. Accommodation is simple in spacey thatched bungalows with a mattress on the floor. It is not very luxurious, but it is very clean. Nevertheless, nature spoils you with luxuruy. The sunrise over the Gulf of Aqaba, the wide sandy beach with coral riffs in reach, the mystical colors of the sunset make up for an unforgettable holiday retreat.
Alexandria is the perfect place for yoga and meditation.
Meditation seminars are hold frequently. The upcoming events by Michael Ostarek and Bhakti B. Hardy are scheduled for Sep 21 – 24 and Oct 14 – 18 titled Silence In You. Participants are welcome to book: alexandriabeach@hotmail.com
Alexandria Beach is just at the edge of Bir Sweir midway between Taba and Nuweiba and run by Bilal. Of Sudanese origin, he is a perfect host, who knows very well to spoil you with original Sudanese food and drinks while at the same time he respects your privacy.

Alexandria Beach in Bir Sweir
Yoga on the beach at sunset

The 2nd International Yoga Festival brings together very experienced multidimensional and distinguished teachers of the highest order from several continents to share their profound knowledge in an open atmosphere. Festival participants of all levels will explore, enjoy and find interest in topics ranging from philosophical, scientific, creative, physical and ethical cultures. The main physical Hatha Yoga Instructors are HA Wafaa, Jonathon Panks, Heather George, Dr. Stephanie Thankappan, Norbu Oberdorfer, Dr. Yogita Mehta, Guru Dileepji and Lila Leuzzi. Read more…..

Said’s camp in the area of Ras al Shatteen is one of the last places along the coast where the real Sinai - as we all used to know it - is very much alive: simplicity and the natural easy going hospitality, no electricity, but zillion stars, space to breathe. The silent presence of Said and his son make sure that your privacy is not disturbed. On the other side they are happy to share their tremendous knowledge with those who are interested.

Said’s camp consists of goat hair tents. The public showers are basic and clean. The restaurant serves simple and good food and plenty of tea flavored with herbs from the mountains.
This is a place to hang out, charge your battery and just be. Untamed nature and scenery are as powerful as they had always been.
For reservation: 010-5884617

Since ancient times people have been visiting Sinai and discovering the flora and fauna that resides there. In pharonic times, expeditions were made to the Sinai to gather medicinal plants for cultivation in the Temple Gardens of Karnak, Upper Egypt.

Sinai today still stands as a rich bed for plant diversity and for its wealth in medicinal plants. The flora of Sinai is represented by 1262 species of plants of which 520 are endemic to Egypt and 36 species are purely endemic to St. Katherine’s Protectorate.

The Bedouin that live in St. Katherine’s are called the Gebaleya and they have a profound knowledge of the properties of these plants especially the medicinal ones. The Gebalaya have a very special relation to St. Katherine’s; entrusted originally as the keepers and protectors of the Monastery from bandits and other enemies.

In modern times the fine balance between the livelihoods of the Gebaleya and their environment is in jeopardy from various sources. As with many indigenous peoples worldwide they are under threat from losing their traditional ways of living and therefore the inherent knowledge that has been built up over the millennia especially that associated with medicinal plants.

The Medicinal Plants Conservation Project (MPCP) aims to counter the threats to the medicinal plants of St. Katherine’s Protectorate through developing alternative and sustainable livelihoods for the communities of the Gebaleya. One of the outputs of the project is the creation of an NGO in St. Katherine’s called the Medicinal Plants Association (MPA). Their aim is to create alternative and sustainable activities that do not adversely impact on the environment.

There are many success stories to tell from the people of St. Katherine’s in their bid to diversify their income resource. The beehives project is a well established one where Sheikh Said and several families now run beehive farms and the bees are producing a distinctive flavor of honey that has medicinal properties. The high vitamin content of the honey has been said to strengthen the immune system and guard the body against the common cold.

There are now safaris organized by the community that are environmentally friendly in terms of not using the wild wood from tree or shrub species. The resident Hakim (herbal healer) by the name of Ahmed Mansour has his own business in organic medicinal plant products cultivated in the farms of the mountain sides. His brother Mahmoud Mansour has an eco-lodge there where he is trying to encourage eco-tourism. Sheikh Jameel’s eco-lodge is also famed for his hospitality and the quality of his organic meals. Salima is a Bedouin entrepreneur who has created an international textiles business called ‘Fansina’ made up of the Gabeleya styles of fashion. She has managed to allow the women of the community to have jobs crafting the products of the Gabeleya.

By diversifying the methods of livelihood we will reduce the impact of an ever growing population and its affect on the environment. The usual subsistence of grazing is not sustainable for everyone especially when you consider that most Bedouin are no longer nomadic.

The Medicinal Plant Conservation Project (MPCP) is supporting these local initiatives and backing them up through a national strategy to promote the intellectual property rights and the associated benefit sharing of the knowledge related to medicinal plants. This would allow the Bedouin communities to have control of the marketing of their medicinal products without fear of outsiders stealing their secret knowledge.
Desmond McCarthy
MPCP-Egypt
desmond@mpcpegypt.com

For more information about St. Katherine’s and the Medicinal Plants Conservation Project why not visit our website at www.mpcpegypt.com

Why not arrange a tour of the MPA and St. Katherine’s or try out the eco-touristic activities i.e. The Eco-Lodges or Fansina.

contacts:
Khalil Soleiman (MPA-Secretary): +20 69 3470648
kksulem@mpcpegypt.com

Mahmoud Mansour (Hakim) – +20 (0) 12 640 0782
www.Hussein_sinain@yahoo.com

Sheikh Jameel (Al Karm eco-lodge) - +20 (0)10 1324693 www.ecolodges.saharasafaris.org/alkarm/

Salima (Fansina) - fansina@sinainet.com.eg

There is an interesting discussion going on about the actual route of the biblical Exodus. According to Ron Wyatt, an anesthetist and amateur archaeologist who died of cancer in 1999 and his wife Nell the crossing of the Red Sea took part in Nuweiba and therefore the real mount Sinai is to be found on the other side in Saudi Arabia. In 1970 they found a chariot wheel in the Gulf of Aqaba dated back from the 18th Pharaonic dynasty (1400 B.C.E.).
Moller, the author of “The Exodus Case believes there are remnants not only of chariots and wheels, but also human and animal skeletons. Dr. Moller, a Swedish DNA researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and producer Tim Mahoney made a documentary titled “Exodus“. After a 10-year study in the field they claim to have found evidence that the Exodus really happened. The film features the actual route the Israelites took when they were freed from slavery in Egypt and crossed the Red Sea
Physicist Colin Humphreys says: “The Exodus of the ancient Israelites from Egypt really is one of the greatest true stories ever told.”

Here is our recommendation where to can have a special dining event in Nuweiba.
Located in Nuweiba directly on the beach Habiba Village is the only non-chain camp and restaurant in Sinai at the moment that implements food and health safety issues in its daily operation.

In April Habiba Village has received the ‘Silver Cristal Plaque’ in recognition of achievement in obtaining good standards of hygiene by implementing the policies of the E-Cristal System Programs based on the principles of the HACCP system’.
Cristal is the Middle East branch of the UK based Check Safety First Group.
www.checksafetyfirst.com / www.cristalme.com

Habiba is famous for seafood. The dining event can take place in the indoor restaurant Mataamak or in authentic Sinai atmosphere on the beach overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba or in the evening under the million stars.
www.sinai4you.com/habiba

Congratulation Habiba Team!