CAIRO – Egypt's reality is now a combination of interrelated and overlapping developments and challenges. In other words, the domestic situation is no less than a jigsaw, which is too difficult to put together, particularly with the countdown towards parliament elections followed by presidential ones. It is unfortunate that these overlapping and intersected challenges seem to have been planned deliberately to abort the January 25 revolution, which aspires to a foundation for social justice, freedom and democracy. There are demons at large, who are not prepared to tolerate the establishment of these three principles. These demons are rearing their ugly heads in Sinai, a challenge that should prompt us to give top priority to development projects on the peninsula. Regrettably, our inter- est in Sinai was limited to summer resorts in the Gulf of Aqaba, Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Taba and Nowebe. Tourism development should have focused on areas across the peninsula to reduce the risk of collapse in the entire region, if a serious threat materialised. In the meantime, North Sinai was denied any kind of development project. Worse, already existing tourism projects in North Sinai such as Sinai Star got closed. The 82-acre Sinai Star, built on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean, was left to decay; the land was divided by the ‘sharks' of the disgraced former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). Since we reclaimed Sinai from Israeli occupation, successive governments never thought of developing the coastal area in North Sinai, which extends from Port Said to Rafah. We failed to follow the example of Tunisia, where tourism depends entirely on the Mediterranean coast and the Sahara desert as rich tourism potentials. It is unfortunate that Egypt's huge and inexhaustible potentials of the Mediterranean coast and vast deserts have not been properly and successfully exploited. Nor did we make any effort to expand diving tourism, which could be thriving all year round on the Aqaba coast. The lack of will and determination under Mubarak's 30-year rule is probably greatly responsible for our dilemma in Sinai. The development of the 60,000km peninsula (about 6% of Egypt's territory) will help undermine our enemy's hallucinatory plans to seize Sinai and resettle Palestinians. Regardless of its huge profits, the job-creating tourism industry should not be the ultimate goal on the peninsula. The Government should devote itself to agriculture, industry, min- ing, fishing farms etc. The Salam Canal should also be completed to stimulate development projects. Bedouin tribes should be given priority in owning plots of land. Policies associated with land lease should be amended to save Sinai children from injustices they suffered. In the meantime, foreigners should not be allowed under any circumstances to own land on the peninsula. We should abort all bids by Zionists to fill the boots of different nationalities and seize plots of land in Sinai. The development of Sinai is the biggest national challenge, which should be immediately taken on. A new security policy based on transparency and integrity should be implemented on the peninsula to help Bedouin families recover from the atrocities suffered under Mubarak's regime. Bedouin children, who were detained for dubious reasons, should be released immediately to enjoy their dignity and honour after the departure of the brutal Minister of Interior Habib el-Adly. [email protected]
