Egypt bulldozes kitesurfing camp in Sinai

Security forces have demolished Kiteloop Camp in Sinai, Egypt, bulldozing the 20 bungalows which make up the area.

Kiteloop was a global kitesurfing destination because of the perfect wind conditions and drew visitors from across the country and internationally.

Karim Al-Khasham, a former finance professional turned kitesurfer and one of the four founders of the camp, said that security forces appeared on Monday and began to demolish the guest rooms and the kitesurfing schools and facilities with bulldozers. The owners were not given the chance to remove their valuables and Al-Khashem estimates the cost to be some six million Egyptian pounds ($332,000).

In 2011, the founders rented the camp from the owner who had not completed the land instalments from the Tourism Development Authority (TDA). They received a demolition warning in June 2016 and filed an official request to settle the payments in the event that the owner refused to pay but were told it was his responsibility. Two days before the demolition the landlord told the TDA he was ready to settle.

When security forces returned to carry out more demolitions today, a Bedouin woman threw a rock at their tank, shattering the windscreen and forcing them to leave.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has pledged to retrieve violated state property. Authorities have also bulldozed homes and gardens in the South Sinai city of Dahab and closed down pottery workshops at the Tunis village in Fayoum.