WDS Project in 2020-2021 [Egypt’s Cycle]

Sharm El Sheikh‘s International Entertainment and Tourism Hub

This cycle will take place in Egypt, and the students are asked to tackle a development project in the touristic city of Sharm El Sheikh.

Project Description

The city of Sharm El Sheikh, which is a well-known port and resort town at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea, is considered one of four most beautiful cities in the world, based on its potentials. It’s also considered as the cross-cultural and multi-touristic hub of Egypt's South Sinai Governorate, which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, St. Catherine and Mount Sinai. The city is one of the key world touristic centers with diverse destinations and facilities for eco-tourism, beaches, safari, diving, entertainment, leisure, hospitality, conferences, exhibitions and festivals.
Based on Egypt’s vision 2030; the sustainable development strategy which reflects the state concern with developing Sharm El Sheikh, is divided into six cores. Where, the first core represents the proposed development of the western part of the city of Sharm El Sheikh, through proposing different projects, such as the Island of Hadba Port Project. While, the second, the third and the fifth cores represent the proposed development of the city center extension part, and that’s through proposing different projects, such as Na’ama Bay Corniche and Walkway Extension Project, Sharm El Sheikh Museums, Expos and Conference Center Projects, etc. The fourth core represents the proposed development of eastern part of the city of Sharm El Sheikh. The sixth core represents the proposed development of northern part of the city of Sharm El Sheikh, as shown in the following map.
In line with the studio’s interdisciplinary nature, the studio will work this year in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of tourism and hotels management to be able to deal properly with designs that are responsive to such eco-touristic nature of the city. Where, the WDS 2020 students will work on establishing a roadmap that matches with Egypt’s vision 2030 to maximize the city of Sharm El Sheikh competitive advantage. And that’s through dividing the Egypt’s 2030 development strategy into phases (starting with 2nd, 3rd, 5th cores), and proposing new innovative green projects, along with the development of the existing facilities, in order to maintain its world-class status.
Moreover, the proposed projects should be flexible for future expansions, and take into consideration the site’s ecology, providing a high-tech sustainable entity, that evokes innovation for the benefit of the local community, and reviving Egypt’s role in regional leadership, marking the city of Sharm El Sheikh as a green, international entertainment and tourism hub.