In Egypt’s Wadi al-Gemal, swimmers share a sparkling bay with sea turtles, but this fragile paradise faces a looming threat from a shadowy tourism development deal. Off Ras Hankorab, endangered green turtles weave through coral gardens that marine biologists consider some of the most climate-resilient reefs in the world. By night, during nesting season, these turtles crawl ashore beneath the glow of the Milky Way, untouched by artificial light.
That balance was shattered in March when excavators rolled onto the sand. Reserve staff and conservationists quickly raised the alarm, and thousands signed a petition to “Save Hankorab” after learning of a contract between an unnamed government body and an investment company to build a resort. The environment ministry, which oversees the park, intervened and halted construction. The machinery was removed, yet months later, officials remain silent, and insiders warn the plans are far from dead.
Why is Hankorab’s ecosystem at risk?
“Only certain kinds of tourism development work for a beach like this,” said Mahmoud Hanafy, a marine biology professor and adviser to the Red Sea governorate. “Noise, lights, heavy human activity, they could destroy the ecosystem.”
Hankorab lies within Wadi al-Gemal National Park, protected since 2003. The UN Development Programme calls it “one of the last undisturbed natural beaches on the Southern Red Sea coast.” However, Egypt’s economic crisis has put enormous pressure on its 3,000-kilometre coastline. A $35-billion deal with the UAE to develop Ras al-Hekma set the tone for further coastal projects, including those in the Red Sea. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi even allocated 174,400 square kilometres of Red Sea land to the finance ministry in June to help pay down public debt.
What are the legal concerns?
The project’s legality is also in question. “The company signed a contract with a government entity other than the one managing the reserve,” Hanafy explained. Environmental lawyer Ahmed al-Seidi insists that if this is true, the deal is “null and void” and violates Egypt’s nature reserve law.
When construction was first reported, MP Maha Abdel Nasser demanded answers from the environment ministry and the prime minister. No response came. To date, no environmental impact report has been released, and the company behind the project remains unidentified.
What is happening at Hankorab now?
Though construction remains suspended, visitors to Hankorab already see change. A newly built gate now charges 300 Egyptian pounds ($6) per entry, five times more than before, yet tickets lack an official issuing authority. New toilets, sun loungers, and umbrellas have been added, with a café and restaurant promised.
For conservationists, the upgrades are a worrying sign of creeping development. “The goal is to make as much money as possible from developing these reserves, which means destroying them,” said Seidi.
By Risper Akinyi