&quot;Developing the Ancient&quot;: Tourism Development and Nation-Consolidation in St. Catherine South Sinai

In recent years, the Egyptian government has embarked on an ambitious development agenda, focusing on megaprojects to enhance economic, societal, and environmental progress. Amid economic challenges, there is a recognition of tourism's potential to boost foreign currency income. The government has shifted its tourism development focus from coastal resort towns to the culturally significant St. Catherine in South Sinai. A UNESCO heritage site and a natural protectorate, the site is believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments and houses the oldest continuously inhabited monastery globally. The newly initiated ‘al-Tagali al-Aatham’ project aims to transform the city into a global tourist destination, sparking economic growth for the city, the region, and the Egyptian state. However, environmental and heritage concerns have arisen. This thesis investigates the socio-economic impact of al-Tagali al-Aatham on St. Catherine, employing ethnographic fieldwork to explore...Show moreIn recent years, the Egyptian government has embarked on an ambitious development agenda, focusing on megaprojects to enhance economic, societal, and environmental progress. Amid economic challenges, there is a recognition of tourism's potential to boost foreign currency income. The government has shifted its tourism development focus from coastal resort towns to the culturally significant St. Catherine in South Sinai. A UNESCO heritage site and a natural protectorate, the site is believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments and houses the oldest continuously inhabited monastery globally. The newly initiated ‘al-Tagali al-Aatham’ project aims to transform the city into a global tourist destination, sparking economic growth for the city, the region, and the Egyptian state. However, environmental and heritage concerns have arisen. This thesis investigates the socio-economic impact of al-Tagali al-Aatham on St. Catherine, employing ethnographic fieldwork to explore perspectives from both the government and local Gabaliya Bedouin. Positioned within Sinai’s history of political contestation and nation-building efforts, the thesis positions the project as a case study of state-induced development on the ‘margins’ of an authoritarian state in an ethnically complex setting. It argues that al-Tagali al-Aatham serves as a nation-consolidation measure, promoting national identity and solidifying Sinai’s integration into the Egyptian nation-state by imposing nationalism, seeking peace, and presenting Egypt as a modern nation.Show less

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"Developing the Ancient" Tourism Development and Nation-Consolidation in St. Catherine South Sinai