Egypt Transfers St. Catherine Monastery, Plans Mega Sinai Tourism City

Egypt has initiated two major development projects reflecting its ambitions to boost tourism and economic growth. A controversial court ruling transferred ownership of the historic St. Catherine’s Monastery and its surrounding lands to the Egyptian state, enabling integration into the "Great Transfiguration Project," a large-scale tourism development aiming to transform the area into a spiritual and recreational hub with hotels, restaurants, and cultural facilities. This decision has sparked strong objections from Greece, which supports the monastery and its religious community, leading to diplomatic negotiations. Concurrently, Egypt unveiled plans for a new desert city, Jirian, west of Cairo, featuring an artificial Nile channel to supply water for urban development and agricultural irrigation as part of the New Delta project. This city aims to create hundreds of thousands of jobs and accommodate millions of residents, with integrated residential, commercial, and industrial zones, developed in partnership with private firms and a military-affiliated agency. Both projects underscore Egypt's strategy to leverage its cultural heritage and natural resources to stimulate economic revitalization amid environmental and economic challenges.