From fishing village to global summit hub: the unlikely rise of Sharm El Sheikh

Nature · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Once a quiet fishing outpost and military base, Sharm El Sheikh has transformed into a premier international resort and diplomatic center. Known as the City of Peace, this Egyptian destination balances massive tourism growth with environmental zoning, hosting everything from world-class diving expeditions to high-stakes global climate and peace summits.

Located on a promontory overlooking the Straits of Tiran, Sharm El Sheikh’s strategic geography defined its early history. After serving as a fishing town, it became a focal point of regional conflict, changing hands between Egypt and Israel during the Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War. It was not until the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the subsequent return of the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 that the city began its rapid evolution into a commercial hub. Former president Hosni Mubarak designated it the City of Peace, sparking a wave of development that turned a handful of resorts into a sprawling metropolitan area.

The city's modern identity is built on its unique environmental assets. With a subtropical arid climate and warm Red Sea waters, it offers year-round access to 250 coral reefs and 1,000 species of fish. This biodiversity supports a thriving diving industry, bolstered by specialized infrastructure like the Sharm El Sheikh Hyperbaric Medical Center, founded in 1993. To preserve this natural beauty, local zoning laws strictly limit building heights, ensuring that the rapid expansion—which saw guest nights climb from 16,000 in 1982 to 5.1 million by 2000—does not overwhelm the landscape.

Beyond tourism, Sharm El Sheikh has become a critical venue for international diplomacy. It has hosted numerous peace summits, World Economic Forum meetings, and the 2022 COP27 climate conference, which established the first loss and damage fund. While the city has faced significant challenges, including terrorist attacks and geopolitical tensions, it remains a major center for Egyptian tourism. Today, it operates as a sophisticated metropolitan area, subdivided into five distinct centers and served by one of Egypt's largest airports, continuing to attract millions of visitors annually.

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