Related: Tourist killed in shark attack at Egypt's Marsa Alam Red Sea resort
The government's order to close the beach and ban swimming at Marsa Alam after a deadly shark attack on Sunday has dampened the mood among visitors to the Egyptian Red Sea resort ahead of the New Year celebrations.
A 48-year-old Italian tourist died and a compatriot, 69, was injured after being attacked while swimming just offshore but outside the designated safe area. The Environment Ministry placed the town's shoreline off limits until Wednesday and formed a committee to investigate the incident.
The attack caused a panic along the shore, said Aya Gad, 29, an Egyptian tourist.
“As I made my way back to my hotel, you could see all the beaches emptying. It was really striking, everyone was running out of the water and taking their belongings,” Mr Gad said. “There was a great deal of panic. When I returned to the hotel, there was a crowd in the lobby enquiring about the incident. It was all anyone could talk about at dinner as well.”
Marsa Alam, one of Egypt's most remote beach destinations, typically sees an influx of tourists around New Year's Eve, with visitors seeking to escape the cold weather in other parts of the country. It is also a popular destination for diving enthusiasts from around the world, particularly during the Christmas break.
The attack prompted some tourists to leave, according to a tour operator in the town who asked not to be identified.
“You can't imagine the number of concerned calls I received from our tour groups. All these tourists had come down to spend the holidays in the water. After beach access was banned, some of them decided to stay and have been understanding. But some demanded refunds and made plans to go to resorts in Sinai instead.”
However, diving centres have not cancelled their scheduled trips, according to another tour operator who explained that “diving instructors feel sure enough that the spots they have chosen for trips are safe from sharks”.
He said the loss from refunding pre-booked diving trips, which would be significant and in much-coveted foreign currency, was the main motivation behind allowing diving trips to continue.
“We thought all boat trips were cancelled until we saw several groups of divers going out on various boats from our hotel marina this morning. The boats were small and were venturing deep into the sea,” said Nick Mehling, 33, an American tourist.
“When we asked at reception after seeing the divers, we were told that swimming was still banned but that diving was OK,” he said.
“Many, like my group, have opted out of going in the water altogether just to be safe.”
The waters around Marsa Alam are known for frequent sightings of sharks, with their size and number increasing as one moves further south towards the Egypt-Sudan border. Diving with sharks is a popular activity for visitors to the town, drawn by the thrill of encountering these powerful predators in their natural habitat.
The tour operator said that the water around Berenice Troglyditica, an ancient seaport 140km south of Marsa Alam, is typically avoided by tour operators due to the “ferocity and size of the sharks in that area”.
Shark attacks, though rare, continue to be a safety concern for Red Sea tourists.
The victim of Sunday's attack was identified as Rome native Gianluca di Gioia by Italian news outlets, quoting Italian foreign ministry sources.
In June last year, a Russian man was killed by a shark near Hurghada, in an attack that received widespread attention because it was filmed and the footage shared online. A few months later, an Egyptian woman was bitten on the arm.
In 2022, two women were killed in separate shark attacks near Hurghada, while in 2020, a Ukrainian boy lost an arm and an Egyptian tour guide lost a leg in a shark attack. In 2018, a Czech tourist was killed by a shark off a Red Sea beach.
Marsa Alam has been the site of several incidents in recent years, with five boat accidents and one oil spill off its coast this year alone.
The treacherous nature of the coast has been attributed to a combination of factors, including strong currents, hidden reefs, and inadequate safety measures.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
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On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
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From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
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Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
