Yachts are moored at Egypt's Marsa Alam marina, where a deadly shark attack has dampened spirits ahead of New Year celebrations. Kamal Tabikha / The National.
Yachts are moored at Egypt's Marsa Alam marina, where a deadly shark attack has dampened spirits ahead of New Year celebrations. Kamal Tabikha / The National.
Yachts are moored at Egypt's Marsa Alam marina, where a deadly shark attack has dampened spirits ahead of New Year celebrations. Kamal Tabikha / The National.
Yachts are moored at Egypt's Marsa Alam marina, where a deadly shark attack has dampened spirits ahead of New Year celebrations. Kamal Tabikha / The National.

Deadly Marsa Alam shark attack casts pall over Egyptian Red Sea resort town


Kamal Tabikha
  • English
  • Arabic

Related: Tourist killed in shark attack at Egypt's Marsa Alam Red Sea resort

The government's order to close the beach and ban swimming at Marsa Alam after a deadly shark attack on Sunday has dampened the mood among visitors to the Egyptian Red Sea resort ahead of the New Year celebrations.

A 48-year-old Italian tourist died and a compatriot, 69, was injured after being attacked while swimming just offshore but outside the designated safe area. The Environment Ministry placed the town's shoreline off limits until Wednesday and formed a committee to investigate the incident.

The attack caused a panic along the shore, said Aya Gad, 29, an Egyptian tourist.

“As I made my way back to my hotel, you could see all the beaches emptying. It was really striking, everyone was running out of the water and taking their belongings,” Mr Gad said. “There was a great deal of panic. When I returned to the hotel, there was a crowd in the lobby enquiring about the incident. It was all anyone could talk about at dinner as well.”

Marsa Alam, one of Egypt's most remote beach destinations, typically sees an influx of tourists around New Year's Eve, with visitors seeking to escape the cold weather in other parts of the country. It is also a popular destination for diving enthusiasts from around the world, particularly during the Christmas break.

The attack prompted some tourists to leave, according to a tour operator in the town who asked not to be identified.

“You can't imagine the number of concerned calls I received from our tour groups. All these tourists had come down to spend the holidays in the water. After beach access was banned, some of them decided to stay and have been understanding. But some demanded refunds and made plans to go to resorts in Sinai instead.”

However, diving centres have not cancelled their scheduled trips, according to another tour operator who explained that “diving instructors feel sure enough that the spots they have chosen for trips are safe from sharks”.

He said the loss from refunding pre-booked diving trips, which would be significant and in much-coveted foreign currency, was the main motivation behind allowing diving trips to continue.

“We thought all boat trips were cancelled until we saw several groups of divers going out on various boats from our hotel marina this morning. The boats were small and were venturing deep into the sea,” said Nick Mehling, 33, an American tourist.

“When we asked at reception after seeing the divers, we were told that swimming was still banned but that diving was OK,” he said.

“Many, like my group, have opted out of going in the water altogether just to be safe.”

The waters around Marsa Alam are known for frequent sightings of sharks, with their size and number increasing as one moves further south towards the Egypt-Sudan border. Diving with sharks is a popular activity for visitors to the town, drawn by the thrill of encountering these powerful predators in their natural habitat.

The tour operator said that the water around Berenice Troglyditica, an ancient seaport 140km south of Marsa Alam, is typically avoided by tour operators due to the “ferocity and size of the sharks in that area”.

Shark attacks, though rare, continue to be a safety concern for Red Sea tourists.

The victim of Sunday's attack was identified as Rome native Gianluca di Gioia by Italian news outlets, quoting Italian foreign ministry sources.

In June last year, a Russian man was killed by a shark near Hurghada, in an attack that received widespread attention because it was filmed and the footage shared online. A few months later, an Egyptian woman was bitten on the arm.

In 2022, two women were killed in separate shark attacks near Hurghada, while in 2020, a Ukrainian boy lost an arm and an Egyptian tour guide lost a leg in a shark attack. In 2018, a Czech tourist was killed by a shark off a Red Sea beach.

Marsa Alam has been the site of several incidents in recent years, with five boat accidents and one oil spill off its coast this year alone.

The treacherous nature of the coast has been attributed to a combination of factors, including strong currents, hidden reefs, and inadequate safety measures.

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Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88

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Bahrain

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1987

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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

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Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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RESULT

Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: 
Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)    

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Community Shield info

Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)

Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte

Referee Bobby Madley

Results

5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar

7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi

 

UAE rugby in numbers

5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons

700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams

Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams

Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season

Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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Book%20Details
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history

4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon

- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.

50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater

1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.  

1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.

1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.

-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

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. 

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')

Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')

Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Final scores

18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)

- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)

-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)

-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)

-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)

-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)

Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

Updated: December 31, 2024, 5:44 AM`