Every summer, droves of city dwellers head to holiday homes on Egypt’s North Coast – known simply as Sahel – to escape the heat and enjoy the calm, turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
They swim, relax, socialise, work out and now – thanks to the country’s first surf camp – ride some waves. Surf conditions here are ideal for a range of ability levels, says Omar El Sobky, founder of Surf Camp Egypt.
“You don’t need huge, big waves if you’re a beginner. During the week, there are maybe two days when we can surf as intermediate and advanced surfers, and the rest is good for beginners. You have a good balance between teaching people and surfing all summer long,” he tells The National.
Surf Camp Egypt started with a tiny community of surfers in Agamy, a city in Alexandria, in 2007. It has since shifted to a school with three locations on the North Coast, in the trendy Hacienda Red, Hacienda White and Swan Lake compounds.
“Sahel is the new ‘in’ place and if we want to spread the sport, we need to be where people are going,” says El Sobky, 36.
El Sobky learnt to surf 15 years ago in Atlantic City in the US, while working a summer job at a clothing store on the boardwalk. At the same time, his childhood friend Ahmed Shams was inspired to learn to surf back in Egypt after he saw a video of American professional surfer Kelly Slater.
He bought a surfboard on Facebook and taught himself with the help of a book and DVD. “I caught my first wave in September 2007 on my own and I was hooked,” says Shams, 34.
“The biggest challenge we have is that the majority of Egyptians, when you talk about surfing, are going to tell you we don’t have waves in Egypt. But actually in the winter we have pretty good swells in Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh [about 300 kilometres farther west].”
Shams and El Sobky started surfing together, driving from Cairo to the North Coast to hit the waves every chance they could while holding full-time jobs. Along with a third partner, Adam El Sendyoni, they founded their summer surf school in Agamy in 2010.
In 2017, they began operating in Sahel, where they teach children and adults the basics of the sport through lessons on the sand, in the area's man-made lagoons and then, eventually, in the sea.
In the off-season, Surf Camp Egypt organises two to three trips per year to top surfing spots such as Bali, Sri Lanka and Portugal. “We want to create Egyptian surfers who are surfing during the summer, surfing during the winter and also doing a trip or two per year. So technically, they’re surfers,” El Sobky says.
The school has a team of 11 instructors, most of whom were themselves students of Surf Camp Egypt. One of them is Leila Aziz, 16, better known as Lilo, who has been surfing at the camp in Hacienda for four years and became an instructor this summer.
“I always wanted to learn surfing because I like skateboarding and snowboarding, and I’ve tried wakeboarding before,” she says.
Surf Camp Egypt happened to be in the same compound where she spends summers with her family, so she signed up for the course. “I’ve only ever surfed in Hacienda Red and Hacienda White. I really, really want to go to Alexandria and try surfing there, but the waves are really big and I’ve got school,” says Aziz, who has two years left at Cairo English School.
She says adults are sometimes “surprised” that someone so young can be an instructor, but “they’re proud by the end of it”.
“When I’ve got other kids with me, they feel inspired,” she says. “I had a kid who came in and said: ‘When can I work at the shack?’. He’s like 10. It was adorable.”
Students who have come to the camp range in age from 4 to those in their fifties. They are mainly Egyptians, but some tourists have also discovered the school through word of mouth or social media.
On a recent Saturday, Thibaut, 25, and Lixue Wan, 40, two engineers working in the maritime industry in Alexandria, came for their first lesson after hearing positive feedback from a colleague.
“What I knew about Egypt was limited to the Red Sea. I didn’t hear too much about the North Coast,” says Thibaut, who is French. “Surfing was on my bucket list and I thought: 'Why not try it here?’"
“You would never expect Egypt to have such a beautiful shoreline,” chimes in Wan, who is Chinese. “It’s the first time I've come here.”
Sawsan Mohsen, 31, a nutritionist who is Egyptian, drives 90 minutes from Alexandria for her weekly lessons and is able to stand up on the board in the sea after her third session.
“It has been my dream since I was a teenager,” says Mohsen, as she wraps up her theory lesson with Aziz.
“I like seeing other people fall in love with the sport, just like I did,” Aziz says. “It’s the best thing in the world when you see someone else take their first wave. It really is magical.”
Surf lessons can be booked via Surf Camp Egypt's Instagram page
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neo%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20February%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abhishek%20Shah%20and%20Anish%20Garg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Delta%20Corp%2C%20Pyse%20Sustainability%20Fund%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info
Liverpool 4
Salah (19'), Mane (45 2', 53'), Sturridge (87')
West Ham United 0
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
