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Sharm El-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai. It has a local population of approximately 40,000. It is a very popular sea-resort city attracting tourists from around the world throughout the year. It is also widely viewed as one of the world’s premier ports for scuba diving.
In the past decade Sharm El-Sheikh has become renowned for its impressive conference-hosting capabilities. It has a newly constructed international airport that serves over 7 million passengers a year and has a major convention center.
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Economy and tourism
Sharm El-Sheikh's major industry is foreign and domestic tourism, owing to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches. Its waters are clear and calm for most of the year and have become popular for various water sports; particularly recreational scuba diving and snorkeling which some consider being among the best in the world. Coral reefs and marine life offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers. There is a great diversity in marine life species with 250 different coral reefs and 1000 species of fish.
Transportation
Air: Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport has scheduled flights to Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor,Alexandria and 5 weekly flights to London (Gatwick Airport). Additionally, frequent charter flights to Italy, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, United Kingdom and other destinations are available. British Airways operates direct scheduled services from London (Gatwick Airport) to Sharm-el-Sheikh on Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays. Thomson Airways operates chartered services 7 days a week from UK airports.
Road: Sharm has frequent good quality coach services to Cairo leaving from the Delta Sharm bus station. There are three companies on the route charging between 70 and 100 LE (2008) for the 6-hour journey.
Sea: Sharm El-Sheikh’s marina has been redeveloped for private yachts and sailboats, with a passenger terminal for cruise ships and scheduled ferry service to Hurghada and Aqaba.
Scuba diving and water sports
Sharm el-Sheikh has also become a favorite spot for Scuba divers from around the world. Being situated near the Red Sea, it provides some of the most stunning underwater scenery and warm water making this an ideal place to dive. Visitors to Sharm el-Sheikh can experience a variety of activities such as diving, snorkeling, wind surfing, kite surfing, para-sailing, boating, and canoeing. Ras Mohammed is the national park of South Sinai, located on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Along with Nabq, it has famous dive sites in the Red Sea, with 800-meter (2,600 ft) deep reef walls, pounding current and coral gardens.
(Source: Wikipedia)
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