Sustainability of Tourism Development in Al Ain Al Sukhna, Egypt Due to its significant natural and cultural attractions, tourism is a major economic source for Egypt. Yet, rapid development and construction of touristic facilities has negative impact on the fragile natural and cultural heritage. This paper studies the recent touristic developments of the coastal stretch of Al Ain Al Sukhna – the hot spring in Arabic - on the Red Sea coastal region of Galala mountain, and their impact on the surrounding natural and cultural attractions. Coral reefs and rich marine life have made this stretch among the prime fishing and scuba diving destinations in the world. The area is also famous of its all-year-round sunny beaches, spectacular coastline scenic drive where mountains reach the costal road. Recently, development has started on the mountains following the construction of Galala Mountainous road. Galala City started operating hosting Galal University and several other residential, touristic and commercial facilities. The paper studies the pattern of development in the area during the past 50 years and assesses its impact on the natural and cultural resources.

1. Sustainability of Tourism Development
in Al Ain Al Sukhna, Egypt
Dr.YasserMahgoub
FacultyofArchitecture,GalalaUniversity
ymahgoub@gu.edu.eg
4th International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism
Alanya HEP University, Alanya, Turkey , 20-21 May 2021

2. 1. Introduction:
This paper studies the
impact of the recent
touristic developments
of Sukhna – Zaafarana
coastal stretch and
Galala mountain region
on the surrounding
natural and cultural
attractions.

3. 1. Introduction:
The Sukhna-Zafarana strip has witnessed
rapid development during the past 40
years due to its nature as an attractive
mass-tourism destination for Egyptians
and foreigners.
The type, intensity and characteristics of
this development and its impact on
natural, built and human environments is
questionable.
Zaafarana
Sukhna
Galala
City

4. 1. Introduction:
Sukhna is the short name of “Al Ain Al Sukhna” meaning
the hot spring in Arabic. It is the location of a hot
sulphuric mineral spring that flow from Gebel Ataqa,
the Eastern Desert’s northernmost mountain.
Just behind the hot spring location lies an
archaeological site of an Ancient Egyptian port that was
used to import copper and Safire from Sinai and trade
with Pont in Africa.
Sukhna water spring
Archaeological site

5. 1. Introduction:
The area is famous of its all-year-round
sunny beaches, fishing, diving and
spectacular coastline scenic drive where
mountains reach the costal road.

6. 1. Introduction:
Recently, development has started on the
mountains following the construction of
Galala Mountainous road.
Recent development on Galala mountain.

7. 1. Introduction:
Galala City started operating hosting Galal
University and several other residential,
touristic and commercial facilities.
Recent development on Galala mountain.

8. 1. Introduction:
This rapid development is not sustainable
and pauses threats to the natural
environment and human wellbeing,
health and safety.
Several developments are located on the
natural rain floods paths while others are
extensively altering the natural
environment to accommodate their units.
Alteration of the natural environment by touristic resorts planning
and architecture

9. 2. Sukhna Development:
Before 1967 war, the area was known as
fishing, diving and camping ground.
It was also known of its mineral sulfuric
springs.
It was usually featured in the black and
white movies (Ibn Hamedo) as virgin,
scenic, sandy and sunny beaches all year
long. It was a usual winter one-day trip for
many school children.
Al Soukna as depicted in the movie Ibn Hamedo

10. 2. Sukhna Development:
Between 1977 and 1997, early
development and projects started with
traditional sea food restaurants, small
hotels and touristic villages started to
appear. The development started on the
northern part and extended southward.
The first hotel and resort to appear were
Sukhna Hotel, Al-Higaz and Portrait
hotels.
Early touristic resorts and hotels.

11. 2. Sukhna Development:
In 2007 Porto Sokhna has started as a
giant development spreading over 2.5
million square meters extending into the
mountain up to 270 meters above sea
level.
Until recently, it was considered the most
ambitious residential development to be
constructed on the mountain compared
to the adjacent La Siesta resort composed
of few villas on the mountain. In addition,
it offered the first mountain top golf
course overlooking the Red Sea and
mountain top sea food restaurant and
shopping mall.
Porto Sukhna on the mountain

12. 2. Sukhna Development:
It was the first major touristic
development in Egypt to be built on the
mountain, not the beach, that contained
for the first-time chain restaurants and
entertainment amenities.
It contains international restaurants,
cafes, shops, games, entertainment on
the pedestrian Walk, Sky Mall and Fish
restaurant on the mountain, connected
by a cable car from the beach for the first
time in Egypt.
Porto Soukna from the mountain

13. 2. Sukhna Development:
The iconic curved pyramid shaped towers
attracted the attention of travelers and
tourists and increased surrounding land
value and attraction to the region.
The “Porto-style” has changed the
traditional idea about coastal
development and entertainment in Egypt
for ever. This type of development was
duplicated in many parts of Egypt from
Red Sea to North West Coast and the rest
of the country.
Porto Soukna from the sea

14. Beach
activities
Coastal
Road
Fence
Sea
activities
Mountain
Porto
Pyramids
Porto Sukhna beach

15. 2. Sukhna Development:
The Post-Porto-style was characterized by
extensive development, leisure
attractions, colorful facades, expensive
materials, exotic shapes, and international
styles encouraged by luxurious gated
resorts, such as Lavista and Telal.
Post-Porto Style

16. 2. Sukhna Development:
Post-Porto Style
The Post-Porto-style was characterized by
extensive development, leisure
attractions, colorful facades, expensive
materials, exotic shapes, and international
styles encouraged by luxurious gated
resorts, such as Lavista and Telal.

17. 2. Sukhna Development:
Recently, development has started on the
mountains following the construction of
Galala Mountainous road.
Galala City started operating hosting Galal
University and several other residential,
touristic and commercial facilities. It hosts
several developments on several levels
from sea level to more than 700 M above
sea level. The Galal Mountain Panoramic
Corniche is breathtakingly.
Galala Mountain Road

18. 2. Sukhna Development:
Galala City is located 700 meter above sea
level on the al-Galala al- Bahareya
mountains between Ain Sokhna and
Zafarana covering approximately 19,000
feddans.
The new city is one of the government’s
national efforts to develop the vast and
empty eastern desert to solve Cairo’s
population congestion and create work
and living opportunities for the youth in
addition to generating investment
opportunities.
Galala City as seen from the coastal Road

19. 2. Sukhna Development:
The project accommodates a tourists’
resort, hotel and restaurants on top of
the mountain enjoying the magnificent
mountains’ scenery.
The first phase released, out of three,
covers an area of 2050 acres consisting of
various activities.
It includes residential areas with the most
desired moderately priced units,
commercial, touristic villages, cultural,
medical, educational, and religious
Galala City Mountain Corniche

20. Phase
1
NW Extension
SE Extension
Mountain
Corniche
Gulf of Suez
Red Sea
Abu
Al
Darag
Access
N
Galala City Master Plan
0 1 2 3 4 5 KM

21. Galala University
Galala Downtown
Galala City Master Plan - Phase 1

22. Galala City

23. Galala University

24. 2. Sukhna Development:
A cable car connects the mountain city
with a 1000 feddans sea front resort
accommodating a hotel, aqua park, yacht
marina and shopping centres.

25. 3. Results:
The natural environment has been
radically modified.
The mountains are being modified to
terraces for development. The debris of
these excavations are thrown to the sides
of the mountains and will create hazard
during rain floods. This will also create
unpredictable changes of rain floods
paths.

26. 3. Results:
The built environment touristic resorts
are occupying hazardous locations of
flooding deltas along the coast. They can
be in great danger if climate change
causes severe rains on the mountains and
rain flooding to the sea.

27. Types of development along the coastal road and potential hazard of rain floods due to roads and
touristic resorts’ location.

29. Potential hazard of rain floods due to roads and touristic resorts’ location.

30. 3. Results:
Building foot print is not considering the
path of rain floods. Many structures are
located in the path of rain floods.

31. 2007 2020

32. 2007 2020

33. 3. Results:
The landscape design is applying English
style landscape of large green loans and
plants selection that require large
amounts of water for irrigation. Whether
this is a recycled water or not it is still
injecting huge amounts of fresh water
into the ground with unforeseen
consequences.
Type of landscape used in most resorts

34. 3. Results:
The area suffers of informal construction
activities and abandoned buildings and
structures of the early development.
Informal fish sales kiosks and restaurants
are scattered along the costal road.
Informal use and construction on the coastal road

35. 3. Results:
The economy of the region depends on
the availability of assistance workers to
provide services in shops, housekeeping,
restaurants, etc. There is no consideration
of the needs of this low-income groups.
- no bus terminals or transportation hub
to serve their needs.
- no proper accommodation alternatives
for them.
- no public beaches for people to enjoy
during weekends. Most beaches are
appropriated by gated communities.
Informal activities by visitors

36. 4. Discussions:
The area suffers from heavy trucks traffic
along the coastal road. The trucks are
causing air, land, visual and audial
pollution deteriorating the original site
attractions, water, land, air and visual
pollution, among others.

37. 4. Discussion:
The paper proposes a Sustainable Tourism
Development Model to study the current
problems in the region and propose
solutions and approaches to any new
development.
Sustainable tourism development is
defined as a form of economic
development that is designed to: improve
the quality of life of the host community,
provide a high quality of experience for
the visitors, maintain the quality of the
environment on which both the host
community and the visitor depend.
Sustainable Tourism Development Model

38. 4. Discussion:
• Natural Environment Sustainability:
• Protect nature and coastal area for future
generations. Declare parts of the coast as UNESCO
Heritage Areas.
• Traffic along the coastal road is hazardous and
dangerous. Several areas are poorly maintained.
• Trucks are crowding the street and causing traffic
hazards, air pollutions and noise. They should be
prohibited from this coastal road.
• Restore and renovate Al Ain Sukhna (the hot spring)
original site. A health resort and a wellness center
can be established there.
• Study environmental hazards of flooding and mini-
tsunamis phenomenon
• Built Environment Sustainability:
• Enforce protected set back from sea line.
• Improve the quality of planning and design of
touristic facilities by establish guidelines for
planning and architectural design to achieve
sustainability.
• Provide public beaches for swimming and fishing
piers for public use.
• Apply sustainability and eco-tourism strategies on
all facilities and attractions.
• There should be building guidelines to use materials,
colours and shapes to provide the area with a
distinctive identity and style.
• Design buildings to withstand impacts of climate
change. Increased weather events increase the
requirement requirements for resilient buildings.

39. 4. Discussion:
• Human Environment Sustainability:
• Accessibility for different economic and social
groups to public beaches and facilities.
• Providing public access to public beaches will
achieve equity between all citizens of Egypt from
different economic levels.
• Many workers are staying temporarily in Sokhna
during the weekdays and they go to their home
towns and cities during the weekends or monthly
vacations. There is no proper transportation hub to
serve their needs. The informal bus stops in front of
McDonalds are causing traffic blockage and safety
hazard for pedestrians.
• The location of the informal bus parking area is very
dangerous for the users. They have to cross the busy
coastal street back and forth.
• Economic Sustainability:
• Consider alternative means of investment replacing
the very low rates of use. Many owners don’t use
these assets efficiently and come only few days a
month or year because of their time restrictions and
places of residence.
• Very low occupancy rate. Providing more work
opportunities like Galal University, industrial, trading
and oil facilities will increase the use of these assets.

40. 5. Conclusions:
The first challenge is to conserve the
unique and sensitive natural and cultural
resources, notably the coastal zone.
Permanent construction of high walls and
land infill of sea beaches is destroying the
marine life and causing coral reefs
degradation.

41. 5. Conclusions
There should be continuous monitoring of
the environmental and urban changes in
the region and their mutual impact.
An Environment and Development
Observatory is being established at Galala
University utilizing its specializations and
facilities, especially the Geoinformatics
laboratory, to continuously monitor these
changes and issue regular newsletter of
the region’s status and potential hazards.

42. Thank you.

43. Thank you.