Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula: A Wealth of All-round Potential
Agriculture
First, a word on Sinai’s 60,000 km2-sized land and 600,000 people. The wide plains of the north, with most of the people, are well-watered with an equable Mediterranean/semi-desert climate. Agriculture is concentrated there and on the cooler central plateau and southern interior mountains. Most oil and gas is in the west, while other mineral wealth is well-distributed, and the south coast hosts world-class beaches, marine life and most of the tourism. Upside potential is very high all around. The people, descended from proud and self-reliant Arabian clans, mostly live in cities and farming communities. Ethnically and culturally different from mainland (Nile river Valley) Egyptians despite also being Arabic-speaking and predominantly Muslim, ties have historically been loose. Nonetheless, they are fellow Egyptian citizens with equal rights, and need to be treated with tact, respect and a spirit of partnership, as outlined below.
Looking at agriculture, the water sources are cool-season rain in the north and rain/snow on higher ground, floodwater, snow melt, a 120 km3 aquifer of fresh groundwater, and the Peace Canal carrying fresh Nilewater from mainland Egypt (the eastern, Dumyat Nile Branch). The Nilewater is treated before entry, and more storage and utilization of seasonal and ground water is needed. Also needed is mandatory and water-efficient modern irrigation (drip and spray) in all of Sinai via solar powered water pumps and irrigation systems. In the north, a wide range of trees and crops is feasible, but they all must be salt-tolerant, as with global warming the rising Mediterranean Sea level is causing unavoidable salinization of the soil and groundwater. Daytime temperature in the north averages 30–35 Celsius in July and 17–21 in January, giving a warm, relatively sunny climate. Regrettably though, the widespread citrus (except lemon), almond, apricot, peach and plum fruit trees will have to be replaced in the north by salt-tolerant trees, and the sooner the better, as mature trees can better withstand the growing salinity. Such trees include palm, olive, fig, prickly pear, pomegranate, carob trees plus saguaro and jojoba biofuel trees. Jojoba oil is also very valuable for beauty products.
Looking at feasible crops, the same loamy (mud/sand mix) soils that favor tree growing also favor certain, also salt- tolerant crops, harvested in either spring/summer or fall winter. Such crops include medicinal and aromatic plants; remarkably weather-hardy, space and water-saving, drought and salt-tolerant, profitable, and easy to package and export. Top summer plants/crops include the important sunflower + anise, licorice, stevia (the sugar substitute), vanilla, basil, sage and aloe vera, while top feasible winter plants/crops include quinoa, barley, tomato, cabbage, sugar beet and dill. On the cooler central plateau and southern interior mountains, the climate and soils favor native medicinal and aromatic plants such as marjoram, rosemary and marigold, while the higher elevation and low salinity allow the growing of fruit trees such as peach, apricot, almond, plum, apple and pear, and imported trees for exportable luxury woods such as Chinese paulownia, Afghan pine from northern Iraq, and Iranian pistachio. They are all local climate and soil-friendly.
Further agricultural opportunities abound. Those include packaging, processing and exporting medicinal and aromatic plants, fresh and canned fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and jams. Animal farms: camel, sheep, goat, chicken, ostrich and rabbit (with their feed), are all feasible, with their meat and products profitably exportable. Processing factories are needed, as are export ports in Sinai’s north and west, to fortuitously export without passing through the Suez Canal and paying its costly tolls. Lastly, catching and farming fish is very lucrative in Sinai’s Mediterranean and Red Sea waters. This includes top-quality Mediterranean grey mullet, sea bream, sea bass and salmon-bass, and Red Sea grouper, sole, red bream and snapper. Fish farms must use clean freshwater (fish use water but don’t consume it), which can be recycled, purified and most of it re-used, so as to once again allow exports of frozen fish to the EU and other lucrative markets.
Industry and Energy
Plentiful, well-distributed and under-utilized natural resources exist in Sinai, but guidelines are needed for sustainable and profitable industry and energy activity. Industry must be concentrated in the northwest corner and the western port of Abu Rudeis, far from resort tourism and avoiding Suez Canal passage and tolls. Clean, renewable energy is needed, as is desalinated, treated and re-used seawater, as home use and agriculture merit priority in using the lower-cost fresh groundwater, floodwater and snow melt. Environment protection is vital. Regarding natural resources, a well-utilized one is limestone, the raw material for existing cement factories in the north. Needed are smoke filters and strict pollution control, and agricultural waste and dried sewage sludge as cleaner and less costly fuels than the polluting coal.
Upside potential abounds. There is gold, emeralds and turquoise for export, jewelry and handicraft industries. Unutilized coal deposits lie in the north, usable in the steel making process elsewhere in Egypt. Natural gas, cleaner than oil fuels and coal, is the “bridge fuel” that can be used until reliance on renewable energy is in place. Moving on, in the north and south are 25 million tons of the world’s finest white glass sand, the raw material for high-tech industries such as computer processing chips, internet fiber optic cables, precision optics equipment , photovoltaic (PV) solar power cells and panels, mobile phones, TV sets, car electronics, plus the medium-tech but also profitable glass products. East Asian investors can produce in the two zones mentioned above, train and employ Egyptian managers, engineers, production supervisors, technicians and workers, and export very profitably with high tax revenues for Egypt.
There is also marble, “quasi-marble” and granite; which are excellent ornamental rocks for export and sculpting, and pebbles and basalt rock; which are fine building materials. “Rock wool”, an excellent insulating material, can be made from basalt rock, and exported to both Europe, with its cold winters, and Arabian Gulf countries, with their hot summers. Both regions are near, and trade relations with both are strong. Lastly is manganese for ferromanganese bars usable in steel making, and on the north coast: “black sands” containing titanium; a key element in making steel and now transport vehicles, and top-quality table salt on the shore of the highly saline Lake Bardawil. Mining and industry will need plentiful energy, which is available. Offshore oil and gas fields abound in the west, as well as offshore gas fields in the north which need full utilization. Nonetheless, renewable energy is the real key to an environment-friendly and profitable industrial future.
The very sunny and windy Sinai has high solar and wind power potential. Egypt already has electricity surpluses and its power grid is connected to most Arab countries and to Europe, with very high and profitable electricity exports feasible to them + east African countries once power grid connections are complete. Through Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) investments entailing Power Purchase Agreements (which are a better deal for Egypt than the current, Feed-in Tariff schemes), international investors can build large, 1.5 Gigawatt (GW) solar power and 1GW wind power stations, sell electricity to the state to recover their investment plus a moderate, pre-agreed profit, and then transfer ownership to (Egypt’s) state for free. This would ensure international quality, save great costs to the state, and train and employ a qualified workforce. Sinai’s renewable energy electricity capacity potential is estimated at 12GW of solar power and 8GW of wind power. Further renewable energy potential lies in growing jojoba and saguaro trees for clean and reliable, top-quality biodiesel fuel, and biogas generated by “anaerobic digestion” (catalyst-assisted, oxygen-free heat treatment of agricultural, animal and organic solid waste), as a clean, cheaper and efficient natural gas substitute. The sunflower plant is especially rich in usable waste. All this energy will be needed, in transport, homes and especially industry, especially to fuel ovens in energy-intensive thermal industries such as cement and the high-tech industries.
Tourism
Tourism has long been concentrated in the south and southeast coast, with its world-class beaches, coral reefs and marine life, but strong upside potential exists in all of Sinai, and a change of strategy is also needed, from low-cost, mass beach tourism to higher-end and value resort tourism, diving, spas and natural healing, nature/safari, adventure for young people, conferences and culture. This was successfully done by Spain and later by Turkey, which improved its touristic products and experiences, infrastructure, service and foreign language proficiency, remained popular by retaining high value for money despite rising costs, and gained much higher revenues as a result.
Looking around Sinai and at Egypt’s main European and Arab tourist markets, the north, best in the beach season from May-October, includes beautiful, palm-graced beaches at El-Arish, Rommana and Kharrouba, nature tourism such Lake Zaranik with winter and spring migratory birds, Lake Bardawil with migratory birds and natural healing using its calm and highly saline water. Being at sea level it suits patients with heart conditions. The forested Ahrash Protectorate, spring fruit blossoms, old ruins and an ancient Roman Amphitheater at Tall El-Farma (Pelusium), Islamic forts at Bir El-Abd, and tribal hospitality round out the north’s attractions. Meanwhile, the west, best in the cool season of October-April, hosts curative sulfuric water springs and sauna-like dry, curative heat at Moses Springs, Pharaoh’s Bath and Moses’s Bath, scenic beaches with friendly dolphins, coral reefs and surfing at Ras Sedr, Matarma Bay and El-Tor, sunrise and sunset views, camel riding, turquoise mines at Serabit El-Khadem and exotic old volcanic lava formations at the Forest of Pillars.
The interior, suitable all year round but especially in March-May, has cultural venues such as the famous St. Catherine’s Monastery (6th century AD), the imposing Nakhl Citadel with scenic, panoramic views of fruit orchards, trekking and mountain climbing, lush and exotic oases fed by snowmelt and floodwaters, fruit orchards, an abundance of plants and spring flowers, and rare wildlife such as foxes, ibexes, golden eagles and many others. Atop the 2,600–2,800 meter-high St. Catherine, Moses and Catherine Mountains are green fields and fruit orchards, fresh summer weather, winter snow, mountain climbing, and spectacular summit views overlooking southern Sinai. Lastly, the east, best in the cool season, hosts the Nabq and Abu Galum Nature Protectorates with scenic white sand, calm turquoise waters and mangrove trees, the Nuweibaa Fort and unique Colored Canyon of bright, scenic iron rock alloys, and near Taba there is Pharaoh’s Island overlooking four countries, with Saladin’s fort and fine dive sites, and finally the picturesque, bright turquoise Fjord.
Sinai’s development has long underperformed, its people have felt excluded from its riches, and Egypt faces a terrorist insurgency in the northeast. The answer is to unlock Sinai’s development potential via loosening excessive restrictions, and to earn its people’s lasting loyalty via respect, good livelihoods and a stake in its development. They need full home ownership, infrastructure (reliable water, electricity and sewage), state and social services (health and education), and to be trained and fully employed in good, well-paying jobs in the abundant potential activities. Incoming mainland Egyptians need to be encouraged to immigrate and settle permanently with their families and help build new, thriving communities. Lastly, Sinai’s people, (especially clan elders, who still command great respect and authority and are the key to dealing with their communities) need greater trust and respect as equal citizens by the state, mainland Egyptians and the media, who should now call them the “sons of Sinai” and not “Bedouins” (nomads); a disrespectful term that negates their growing and undeniable education, progress and settled human development. Nonetheless, those challenges are quite manageable, and Egypt can and needs to make the most of the great opportunity available.
