The Egyptian Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), has initiated a $3 million endeavor titled “Green Hurghada” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and safeguard biodiversity in Hurghada City. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance the city’s tourism sector.
The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is designed to foster sustainable recovery in Hurghada’s tourism, energy, and transportation sectors. The five-year plan is in line with post-COVID-19 recovery strategies and focuses on adopting sustainable technologies and promoting green investments within the local tourism industry.
The “Green Hurghada” project also aims to bolster the resilience of Hurghada’s tourism sector by investing in environmental, economic, and social sustainability and promoting eco-friendly tourism practices. Patrick Gilabert, UNIDO’s representative for the Regional Office Hub in Egypt, highlighted these objectives during the project’s inauguration.
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Key components of the project include addressing the environmental impact of tourism and fishing on biodiversity, conducting strategic ecological assessments, and mitigating climate change and air pollution effects. Additionally, the initiative will feature a program dedicated to technical assistance, technological advancement, and investment incentives.
As Minister Yasmine Fouad stated, the Ministry of Environment will form a Project Steering Committee (PSC) to supervise the project’s execution and coordinate with other Egyptian ministries and agencies to ensure strategic support and successful outcomes.
The GEF and UNIDO will assist in preparing monitoring studies and reports necessary for the project’s progress. Minister Fouad emphasized that this project builds upon the successful transformation of Sharm El-Sheikh into a green city, a model that Egypt plans to replicate in Hurghada.
Sharm El-Sheikh has seen the implementation of various eco-friendly measures, such as the adoption of electric vehicles, the requirement for hotels to obtain green certifications, and the elimination of single-use plastic bags. These initiatives are part of Egypt’s goal to establish Sharm El-Sheikh as a green city by 2028, supported by a GEF-funded project in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
Hurghada, alongside Sharm El-Sheikh, is one of Egypt’s premier tourist destinations on the Red Sea coast, drawing millions of visitors globally. In 2023, Tourism Minister Ahmed Issa announced that both cities collectively welcomed approximately seven million tourists, contributing to half of the 14.9 million tourists who visited Egypt that year.
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