In this June 8, 2018 photo, divers collect plastic and other debris at a dive site off the Red Sea Coast in Southern Sinai, Egypt. AP
In this June 8, 2018 photo, divers collect plastic and other debris at a dive site off the Red Sea Coast in Southern Sinai, Egypt. AP
In this June 8, 2018 photo, divers collect plastic and other debris at a dive site off the Red Sea Coast in Southern Sinai, Egypt. AP
In this June 8, 2018 photo, divers collect plastic and other debris at a dive site off the Red Sea Coast in Southern Sinai, Egypt. AP

Egypt's Red Sea region to ban single use plastic


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

If Egypt's environmental protection track record is anything to go by, then this week's decision by a provincial governor to ban almost all single-use plastic products in his Red Sea region is revolutionary, both in its scope and in the challenge it poses to a culture of apathy and environmental negligence.

The ban, to go into effect in June, takes on added significance because it affects a part of Egypt that's home to some of its most popular beach and water sports resorts, which dot the Red Sea's western coastline in mainland Egypt.

The ban, inspired by a memorandum presented by a voluntary environmental group on the dangers of plastic to humans and marine life, is an expanded and updated set of regulations on the use of single-use plastic products that was first announced in 2008 but which was never properly implemented.

The latest ban comes at a time when Egypt is focused on reviving its vital tourism sector to levels last seen before a popular 2011 uprising and subsequent turmoil depressed the industry, scaring tourists away and costing tens of thousands of local jobs. The Red Sea resorts – which include El Gouna, Hurghada, Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay – kept the industry barely afloat during its darkest days when the Pharaonic temples and tombs of Luxor and Cairo's Giza Pyramids and its famed museum attracted negligible numbers of visitors.

With the Red Sea's rich and diverse marine life and its golden sand beaches, these resorts now hold the key to the industry's future. That something is being done to protect them could only enhance their reputation, particularly with the growing numbers of environment-conscious tourists.

The ban will apply to restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies and cruise and leisure ships that dock off the shores of the Red Sea province. The ban will cover plastic products like spoons, forks and knives, cups, dishes as well as bags. Factories producing these products will not have their licenses renewed.

It comes at a time when many in the world are shocked and dismayed by images widely shared on social media of sea creatures that have died as a result of swallowing plastic. These images, plus the growing body of scientific literature on the challenges facing the environment, increase awareness of the dangers posed by single-use plastic products.

Ahmed Abdullah, the governor who issued the ban, said it was first proposed by the Hurghada Environmental Protection & Conservation Association, or HEPCA, established in 1992 and widely viewed as among Egypt's most active groups in the field.

"It's a victory for us," said Soha El Ramly, a senior HEPCA official in charge of awareness campaigns. "We have an environmental problem and now it's on the way to be resolved," she said, noting that it was not immediately clear what punishment will await offenders when the ban goes into effect in June.

In comments made to The Associated Press on Tuesday, the governor acknowledged that implementing the ban would be an uphill battle.

Ms El Ramly said the ban will not cover hotels, but pointed out that many of them have already banned single-use plastic to varying degrees.

Egypt's environmental agency said last year that Egyptians use around 12 billion plastic bags a year, causing serious damage to life in the Nile River and the country's Mediterranean and the Red Sea waters.

Egypt's track record on environmental protection is far from exemplary. The government is currently spending billions of pounds to clean up heavily polluted lakes near its Mediterranean coastline that once provided a significant source of fish stocks. Authorities are also fighting a tough battle to protect farmlands from urban incursions or air polluting industries. Cairo, a city of some 20 million people, is thought to be among the world's worst polluted cities. Its gridlocked traffic is believed to cost billions of pounds in wasted man hours annually and is a major contributor to air pollution.

The problem of litter and trash in the Egyptian capital was showcased this week when a video widely shared on social media purported to show a female Japanese resident, wearing a surgical mask, voluntarily picking up trash off the streets in the wealthy Zamalek district.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg

Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')

Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')

The biog

First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974  
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work

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%3Cp%3EThe%20Coffee%20Test%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EA%20machine%20is%20required%20to%20enter%20an%20average%20American%20home%20and%20figure%20out%20how%20to%20make%20coffee%3A%20find%20the%20coffee%20machine%2C%20find%20the%20coffee%2C%20add%20water%2C%20find%20a%20mug%20and%20brew%20the%20coffee%20by%20pushing%20the%20proper%20buttons.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProposed%20by%20Steve%20Wozniak%2C%20Apple%20co-founder%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Medicus AI

Started: 2016

Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh

Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai

Sector: Health Tech

Staff: 119

Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)

 

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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Despacito's dominance in numbers

Released: 2017

Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon

Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube

Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification

Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.

Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards

SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY

Wimbledon order of play on Tuesday, July 11
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Centre Court

Adrian Mannarino v Novak Djokovic (2)

Venus Williams (10) v Jelena Ostapenko (13)

Johanna Konta (6) v Simona Halep (2)

Court 1

Garbine Muguruza (14) v

Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)

Magdalena Rybarikova v Coco Vandeweghe (24) 

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Company profile

Name: GiftBag.ae

Based: Dubai

Founded: 2011

Number of employees: 4

Sector: E-commerce

Funding: Self-funded to date

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Gothia Cup 2025

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116 pitches

76 nations

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15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams