Sharm El Sheikh to Become Egypt’s Next Eco-Friendly City

On Tuesday, Egypt’s Minister of Environment, Yasmin Fouad, said that the government has plans to turn Sharm El Sheikh into an eco-friendly city with the help of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). 

The minister met with South Sinai Governor Khaled Foda to discuss the development of South Sinai’s nature reserves, including hotspots such as Blue Hole and Ras Abu Galoum. The ministry is also working to turn Ghar’ana village in Nabq Protected Area, near Sharm El Sheikh, eco-friendly. 

Back in 2018, projects led by the Egyptian government to transform the Sharm El Sheikh into a green city included incorporating waste-recycling, environmentally-friendly technology for renewable energies and reuse of water. The budget for the projects was US$5 million and was also provided by the UNDP. 

In recent months, Egypt has made several efforts to encourage its citizens to lead an environmentally-conscious life, with plastic bags being banned in Marsa Alam and Hurghada, a plastic-free campaign launching in Dahab, among many others.

These measures all aim at encouraging Egyptians to reduce their plastic consumption, in attempts to shift the country into becoming more sustainable, conscious and eco-friendly.