Popular hot air balloon flights buoy Luxor tourism boom
More than 450 tourists recently took to the air in 25 balloons to get a bird’s-eye view of the area, including ancient temples and the River Nile
Updated 13 February 2023
Gobran Mohamed
CAIRO: Hot air balloon flights over some of Egypt’s most famous attractions have helped buoy a tourism boom in and around Luxor, according to officials.
More than 450 tourists recently took to the air in 25 balloons to get a bird’s-eye view of the area, including ancient temples and the River Nile.
Ahmed Aboud, a representative of a federation of hot air balloon companies in Luxor, said the city had witnessed an upsurge in visitors from around the world and that the flights were proving popular.
However, on Wednesday, due to bad weather, Egyptian civil aviation authorities were forced to cancel 50 hot air balloon flights carrying 700 passengers.
The daily flights usually start soon after dawn with passengers first being served breakfast before being taken by Nile boats and buses for their balloon experience.
Egypt’s parliament approves cabinet reshuffle: state media
Updated 4 sec ago
CAIRO: Egypt’s parliament approved a limited cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, endorsing changes proposed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, state media reported. The reshuffle brings in 14 new ministers and creates a new post for a deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs, according to the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper. The former head of parliament’s budget and planning committee, Hussein Issa, was appointed to that post. Ahmed Rostom, a former specialist at the World Bank, was appointed minister of planning. Mohamed Farid Saleh, who was executive chairman of Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority, was named minister of investment and foreign trade. The changes also include the revival of the Ministry of Information, which will be headed by Diaa Rashwan, the current head of the State Information Service (SIS). The ministry, tasked with overseeing media policy, had been dissolved several times following the 2011 uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak, with its functions transferred later to media regulatory bodies. As part of the reshuffle, the transport and industry ministries were separated. Kamel Al-Wazir will continue as minister of transport only, having previously overseen both portfolios. Planning was also separated from international cooperation, with Rania Al-Mashat remaining as minister of international cooperation. Several key ministers retained their posts, including the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, defense, interior, petroleum and health. The new government is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday, Egyptian media reported.
