The implementation of a ban on single-use plastic products in Egypt's Red Sea province, home to world-renowned beach destinations, has taken effect, according to the provincial governor, in a revolutionary step for a country where the environment suffers from apathy and negligence.
Governor Ahmed Abdullah said on Wednesday that supermarkets, grocery stores and other commercial outlets in the province have diligently observed the ban since it came into force on June 1.
"We have distributed to residents paper bags free of charge to use when they go shopping," the governor said in a WhatsApp message to The National.
The Red Sea province has kept Egypt's vital tourism sector afloat, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists when political upheavals and violence in Cairo kept away visitors in the years that followed a popular uprising in 2011.
The ban, the first of its kind in Egypt, was inspired by a memorandum presented to authorities by a voluntary environmental group on the dangers of plastic to both humans and marine life. The ban provides an expanded set of regulations on the use of single-use plastic products that was first announced in 2008 but was never properly implemented.
The ban comes at a time when Egypt is experiencing with great relief a steady rise in the number of foreign visitors after years of slumping following the 2011 uprising. Much of that traffic is going to the Red Sea region, home to popular beach and water sports resorts like El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada, Soma Bay, Safaga and Marsa Alam.
Their rich and diverse marine life and golden sand beaches may hold the key to the future of tourism in Egypt, a country of 100 million people whose international image as a safe destination occasionally suffers by attacks blamed on radical Islamist militants. The ban on single-use plastic products in the Red Sea region could only enhance the reputation of the resorts and make them more attractive as the number of environmentally-aware tourists grow globally.
The ban applies to restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies and cruise and leisure ships that dock off the shores of the Red Sea province. Hotels are not yet included, but most of them are already voluntarily observing the ban, which covers products like spoons, forks, knives, cups, dishes as well as bags.
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
