DUBAI: The Red Sea, renowned for its coral reefs and marine life, is a major hub for Egypt’s tourism industry, a pillar of the economy.
However, a recent series of boating incidents and shark attacks on tourists have raised concerns, with several fatalities reported over the years.
Attacks by militant groups on foreigners damaged tourism in Egypt in the past, with fewer arriving to see other attractions such as the Great Pyramids of Giza or take a Nile cruise in Luxor and Aswan.
BOATING INCIDENTS
“Sindbad” tourist submarine sinks
On March 27, 2025, a tourist submarine named “Sindbad” sank near the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, killing six Russian tourists. The vessel was carrying 50 people, including 45 tourists from Russia, India, Norway, and Sweden, along with five Egyptian crew members.
Authorities rescued 39 people and launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.
“Sea Story” yacht capsizes
On November 25, 2024, a tourist boat named “Sea Story” capsized off the Red Sea coast near Marsa Alam during a multi-day diving trip. Four people drowned. The vessel was carrying 31 tourists and 13 crew members when it was struck by high waves, and it sank within minutes. Thirty-three survivors were rescued with minor injuries and seven individuals remained missing as rescue operations continued.
“Hurricane” boat fire
On June 11, 2023, a fire consumed a motorboat named “Hurricane” near the diving resort of Marsa Shagra, north of Marsa Alam.
The vessel was carrying scuba divers on holiday, with 15 British tourists and 14 Egyptian crew and guides on board. Twelve tourists and all crew members were rescued, but three British tourists who were initially reported missing were later announced to have died.
Sinking of tourist boat
On August 20, 2015, 26 French tourists and 10 Egyptians were rescued after a boat transporting them hit coral reefs and sank off the Red Sea coast.
SHARK ATTACKS
Shark kills Italian tourist in waters off Marsa Alam resort
On December 29, 2024, an Italian tourist was killed and another injured in a shark attack at Marsa Alam resort. The incident occurred in deep water outside the designated swimming zone near the jetties.
Tiger shark kills Russian citizen near Hurghada beach
On June 9, 2023, a Russian citizen was fatally injured by a tiger shark near a beach at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
Authorities then issued a ban on swimming, snorkelling and other water activities on several nearby beaches.
Shark attacks kill two women south of Hurghada
On July 3, 2022, two women were killed in separate shark attacks south of Hurghada. The victims, one Austrian and one Romanian, were attacked within 600 meters (2,000 feet) of each other near Sahl Hasheesh.
Shark kills German woman swimming in Sharm el-Sheikh On December 5, 2010, a 70-year-old German tourist was killed by a shark while swimming near the shore at the major Sinai Peninsula resort Sharm el-Sheikh.
MILITANT ATTACKS ON TOURISTS
Russian Metrojet flight 9268 crash On October 31, 2015, a Russian airliner crashed in the Sinai Peninsula shortly after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.
Investigations revealed the aircraft broke up mid-air after a loud noise was heard in the cockpit.
It was later determined that a bomb likely caused the explosion. Islamic State’s official magazine later claimed responsibility, publishing a photo of a Schweppes can, alleging it was used to make the bomb.
Egypt’s initial report stated the crash was not terrorism-related. However, nearly a year later, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi acknowledged that terrorists downed the plane to harm tourism and strain Cairo’s relations with Russia.
Taba bus bombing
On February 16, 2014, a suicide bomber targeted a tourist bus in Taba, near the Israeli border, resulting in the deaths of three South Korean tourists and the Egyptian bus driver.
The attack was claimed by the Sinai-based jihadist group Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis, which stated it was part of their economic war against the Egyptian regime.
Luxor massacre
On November 17, 1997, six gunmen disguised as security forces killed 58 foreign tourists and four Egyptians at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor.
The assailants were armed with automatic firearms and knives. The Islamist militant group Al-Jama’a Al-Islamiyya claimed responsibility, stating it was an attempt to undermine the government and damage the tourism industry.
Successive governments in Egypt have waged successful crackdowns on Islamist militant groups, launching campaigns that helped the tourism industry recover.
How fatal boating incidents, shark attacks cast shadow on Egypt’s tourism
https://arab.news/72u32
How fatal boating incidents, shark attacks cast shadow on Egypt’s tourism
- Recent series of boating incidents and shark attacks on tourists have raised concerns, with several fatalities reported over the years
Iraqis vote in a parliamentary election marked by tight security and a major political boycott
- The election is taking place against the backdrop of major shifts in the region over the past two years
BAGHDAD: Iraqis headed to the polls on Tuesday to vote in a parliamentary election marked by tight security and a boycott by a major political bloc.
A total of 8,703 polling stations were open across the country for the general election. Members of the security forces and displaced people living in camps cast their ballots in early voting on Sunday.
Turnout was sparse in the early hours Tuesday at polling stations visited by Associated Press journalists. Initial results were expected on Wednesday.
Only 21.4 million out of a total of 32 million eligible voters updated their information and obtained voter cards ahead of the polling, a decrease from the last parliamentary election in 2021, when about 24 million voters registered.
The election is taking place against the backdrop of major shifts in the region over the past two years — including the wars in Gaza and Lebanon after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, the Israel-Iran war in June, and the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad last December.
These developments come as US pressure intensifies on the Iraqi government to curb the influence of Iran-aligned armed factions, some of which have candidates participating in Tuesday’s vote.
The popular Sadrist Movement, led by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, is boycotting the polls. Al-Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in the 2021 election but later withdrew after failed negotiations over forming a government, amid a standoff with rival Shiite parties. He has since boycotted the political system.
At the entrance to Sadr City — a sprawling stronghold of the Sadrist movement on the outskirts of Baghdad — security was noticeably tighter than in other parts of the Iraqi capital. Iraqi special forces and federal police were deployed across the area, with armored vehicles and Humvees stationed along the main roads, manned by heavily armed soldiers.
A large banner showed Al-Sadr wearing military fatigues and holding a weapon, with the words, “My people in Sadr City are boycotting.” On a main Sadr City street, all shops were shuttered, and posters of slain Sadr loyalists lined the walls.
Polling station were open but were almost completely empty. At one, which serves 3,300 voters, station director Ahmed Al-Mousawi said a few hours into the balloting that fewer than 60 people had voted.
“The Sadrist boycott has had a major impact,” he said. “In previous elections, there used to be long lines from the early morning hours, but today the difference is dramatic.”
Sabih Dakhel, a 54-year-old voter who came with his wife, said they had decided to vote in hopes that new elected officials might improve living conditions for people like them.
“We were able to vote freely today, but the Sadrist boycott has deeply affected participation,” Dakhel said. “Sadr City feels almost like a lockdown because of Muqtada Al-Sadr’s call for his followers to stay home.”
The election results could also face legal challenges. The head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council wrote in a statement published on the council’s website that the election date set for Tuesday is unconstitutional, noting that the vote was originally scheduled for Nov. 24.
