Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam is a tourist town in south-eastern Egypt on the western shore of the Red Sea, whose Arabic name means Anchorage Mountain. It is described as a popular tourist destination and is also known as the Egyptian Maldives for its crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. It is a relatively recently built town: its development began in 1995 through investment by the Kuwaiti Al-Kharafi Group, which established the town and its first facilities, resorts and infrastructure, and its growth was accelerated by the opening of Marsa Alam International Airport in 2003. The region covers 38,433 square kilometres at about 60 metres above sea level, 274 kilometres south of Hurghada and 134 kilometres south of Qusayr, with about 11,497 residents. Though over 135 miles north of the tropical zone, it has a tropical hot desert climate (Köppen BWh), with steadier temperatures than Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh.