Following a decree from H.E. Eng. Magdy El Qubaisy, Governor of the Red Sea, it is now prohibited to sell or use any kind of paint materials containing the chemical compound Tributyltin (TBT).

This chemical has been commonly used in anti-fouling paints that protect ship’s hulls from unwanted marine growths. However, it has been strongly linked to damage and death of marine life, as well causing harmful effects to the environment and wider public health. This decree follows similar legislation throughout the world.

Please ensure that you now purchase TBT-free paints only. This decree also enforces the marking of all such paint containers with the TBT-free sign.

RESOURCES:
HEPCA website
HEPCA fans page on facebook

Mobinil has been hard at work revamping its network in preparartion for the launch 3G earlier this month

Since agreeing to purchase the 3G licence, Mobinil has since increased the number of installed base stations to more than 6,500, out of which 700 3G base stations and more than 2,100 EDGE-enabled base stations are in place.

Nokia Siemens Networks, along with Huawei has developed Mobinil’s 3G network, while Alcatel-Lucent and Motorola cooperated with Mobinil to establish the 2G portion of the network. This is in addition to the cooperation with Cisco Systems and Ericsson to develop and enhance the network infrastructure.

In April this year Mobinil did say it would delay the introduction of 3G services and payment of an EGP750 million (US$138 million) instalment on the licence fee by about two and a half months. At the time, the operator said the delay was necessitated because the regulatory authorities were late in handing over the frequency band needed for Mobinil to conduct the necessary tests before commercial service began.

Mobinil had been meant to receive the frequency band on January 17 but the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) did not say it was available until March 27, according to Mobinil.

Mobinil is the last of Egypt’s three mobile operators to launch 3G services, having initially refused to pay the licence fee asked by the NTRA.

“The licence condition set the value of a 3G licence (for the incumbents Mobinil and Vodafone Egypt) at 20 per cent of the price of the 2G/3G licence awarded to the third operator,” explained Alex Shalaby, CEO of Mobinil at the beginning of last year. “We thought this was high and elected not to bid for 3G at this time.” Etisalat bid US$2.9 billion to win Egypt’s third mobile licence, valuing the amount required to be paid by the incumbents for 3G licences at US$580 million each.

“We are honored that the Library of Alexandria, one of the most prestigious and historic libraries in the world, has provided the Wikimedia Foundation with this great opportunity. This is a very symbolic gesture. Today, Wikipedia and our other free content projects, play an important part in empowering world citizens to share in the sum of all human knowledge,” said Florence Devouard, Wikimedia Foundation Board Chair.

Wikimania 2008 will be Wikimedia’s fourth annual conference. The event brings together international contributors from various Wikimedia projects, as well as people interested in learning more about the projects, wiki technology, free content, and educational and social trends online. In previous years, Wikimania has been held in Frankfurt, Boston, and Taipei.

“We are delighted to secure the Wikimania 2008 event in Alexandria, for we believe in the wiki phenomenon. It is the harbinger of a revolution suited to the new age of the internet, and by supporting it, we are helping give birth to a new era and a new world where access to knowledge is a fundamental right and the sharing of knowledge is a fundamental duty,” said Dr. Ismail Serageldin, the library’s director.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in 2002 to recapture the spirit of the ancient Library of Alexandria, one of the oldest libraries of the world. The new Library and its affiliated research centers are devoted to using the newest technology to preserve the past and to promote access to the products of the human intellect. The BA houses 3 museums, a planetarium center and an accompanying conference center which accommodates a variation of halls in different sizes, facilities and for different purposes.

As in previous years, Wikimania 2008 will include unconferences, seminars, and workshops. The Wikimania 2008 committee, comprised primarily of volunteers, will be organizing the event, and has already begun lining up sponsors.

“We are very happy and honored that Wikimania is happening in Africa, Egypt and specifically our hometown Alexandria. We believe that it will have a great effect in increasing awareness in the region about Wikipedia, its sister projects and the libre knowledge movement. We hope to make a difference and help empower people to better their lives by leveraging free and open knowledge. We also want to make it the best Wikimania experience ever for all the attendees,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, key volunteer coordinator.

The Wikimania announcement comes in the midst of the Wikimedia Foundation’s annual fundraiser, which runs from October 22nd to December 23rd. The fundraiser’s goal is to raise enough money to cover the operating costs of the projects, including helping to pay for Wikimania 2008. For more information about the fundraiser, please visit http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Fundraising and http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Fundraising_FAQ.

According to the U.N. tourism organization, tourism in the country increased by 20 percent during 2007, which in turn has seen a rise in property demands.

“This is excellent news for the buy-to-let market,” said Marion Isom in a statement on behalf of La Siesta Tourism and Real Estate Services.

“Tourism figures always have an effect on the property market of a region and this rapid growth in interest in this amazing country is a welcome step forward,” Isom added.

Tax incentives for foreign investment put forth by the Egyptian government could benefit the continued rise of Egypt’s most lucrative industry, the U.N. report said. It added that Cairo is doing a lot to encourage international companies and individuals to take advantage of the new tax laws to purchase properties here.

Cairo, the Red Sea resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada remain the top spots for foreign travelers.

Paradise Gardens will have the unqiue distinction of being less than 100m to the largest beach in sahl Hasheesh and immediately in front of the Championship standard golf course.

Tahir Ali, MD of Egypt Revealed, is delighted that the Pyramisa group , developers of the resort have joined forces with his company.
“It is a very exciting time for Sahl Hasheesh and the Hurghada area in general. Now property investors can buy in this premium resort for less than £45,000 - probably the lowest entry level prices per sq metre out there”

For further details or to enquire about promoting Paradise Gardens call +44 161 68 1 68 69. ALternativley visit www.Egypt-Revealed.com

First Lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak opened Monday 5/5/2008 a library in El Gona village in Hurghada that will offer a chance for Hurghada visitors to get acquainted with Bibliotheca Alexandrina activities. Mrs. Mubarak also laid the foundation stone of a nursing school in Gona.

The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development established the two institutions. The foundation was founded in April 2001, with an endowment from the Sawiris family, to serve the goals of extending grants to fund projects implemented by partners, fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship and supporting the creation of self-employment opportunities in addition to providing seed money for the start up of micro and small enterprises.

Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak inspected the main hall of the Hurghada library where visitors could read on computers about 55,000 of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina books which were digitally registered.

She also visited a cultural panorama hall where the 5,000 old Egyptian heritages could be screened in an attractive way and Bibliotheca Alexandrina activities could be followed up while taking place.

Mrs Mubarak also opened a nursing school for tertiary education where students will study for three years to be able to join the labor market.

Visit Vodafone Egypt official website or read more about Apple iPhone .

The programme will offer direct flights to Skiathos in Greece and Hurghada in Egypt for the first time.

Thomas Cook Airlines has three Boeing 757-200 aircraft, each carrying 235 passengers, based at the airport. Over the summer period, the airline is expecting to transport nearly 200,000 travellers to their holiday destinations.

Frank Pullman, managing director of Thomas Cook Airlines, said: “We have analysed demand for flights in the region and because we have a fleet of 42 aircraft, we have been able to adapt our schedule so that we can offer more choice with exciting new destinations.”

The airline operates flights from Birmingham International to 36 destinations in total, including Alicante, Bourgas in Bulgaria and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt.

RESULTS: Hurghada Squash International, Hurghada, Egypt

Men’s semi-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [3] Karim Darwish (EGY) 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 (49m)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [4] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 (58m)

Women’s semi-finals:
[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 5-9, 9-2, 5-9, 10-8, 9-5 (84m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [6] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 9-1, 9-3, 10-9 (42m)

Shabana & Ashour In Dream Hurghada Final

The world’s top two players Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour will contest a dream all-Egyptian men’s Hurghada International final after prevailing in similar four-game semi-finals in the $61,250 5-star PSA Tour squash event in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

Both players faced determined opposition from fellow countrymen: Shabana, the world number one and top seed from Giza, got the better of third seed Karim Darwish, beating the 26-year-old from Cairo 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 in 49 minutes to reach the 29th Tour final of his career - and the sixth in succession since October.

Ashour, the 20-year-old world No2, conquered a fired-up fourth seed Wael El Hindi 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 in 58 minutes and will now contest his ninth PSA final in 15 months.

The men’s climax will mark Shabana and Ashour’s seventh Tour meeting since their first in October 2006 - and the fourth in a row in PSA event finals. Shabana currently leads the head-to-head tally 4/2.

The final of the women’s $26,200 WISPA World Tour event will be the first since 2002 not to feature Rachael Grinham. The top-seeded Australian, going for her fourth title in five years, was beaten 5-9, 9-2, 5-9, 10-8, 9-5 in 84 minutes by Egyptian rival Omneya Abdel Kawy - after failing to convert two match-balls in the fourth game.

Kawy, the 22-year-old third seed from Cairo who won the title two years ago, is celebrating her 15th WISPA final.

Her opponent will be England’s second seed Jenny Duncalf, who put paid to a second all-Egyptian final in Hurghada by beating Raneem El Weleily, the sixth seed from Alexandria, 9-1, 9-3, 10-9.

Duncalf, the 25-year-old world No6 from Harrogate in Yorkshire, is marking her sixth Tour final appearance - and her fifth WISPA meeting with Kawy since 2003. Omneya leads the head-to-heads 3/1.

Both finals will take place on Sunday.

The service, which starts on November 5, is in addition to the airline’s weekly service to Egypt which flies from Edinburgh to Sharm El Sheikh.

Flyglobespan has recently appointed 128 staff, all of whom will be based in Scotland, taking the total employee numbers to over 1300.

The majority of the staff will be employed as cabin crew at the airline’s Glasgow base.