Mount Sinai Faces Controversy Over Luxury Tourism Project

Mount Sinai, one of the world’s most sacred religious sites, is at the centre of growing tensions as Egypt pushes ahead with a massive luxury tourism development that critics fear could permanently alter the area’s spiritual and cultural identity.

For centuries, pilgrims and visitors have journeyed to Mount Sinai – known locally as Jabal Musa – to witness the sunrise from its rocky peaks, often guided by members of the indigenous Bedouin community. The mountain is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims as the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments and where God is believed to have spoken to him through the burning bush.

At the base of the mountain lies St Catherine’s Monastery, a sixth-century Greek Orthodox site recognised as the world’s oldest continuously operating Christian monastery. The entire region, which also includes the small town of St Catherine and surrounding desert landscape, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Egyptian government’s Great Transfiguration Project, launched in 2021, aims to transform the area into a global tourism hub, complete with luxury hotels, villas, shopping complexes, and a cable car to Mount Moses. Officials describe the project as “Egypt’s gift to the entire world and all religions,” promising sustainable development that will boost tourism and the local economy.

However, critics and conservationists warn that the rapid development is causing severe harm to the environment and the Bedouin community, who have lived in the area for generations. The Jebeleya tribe, known as the “Guardians of St Catherine,” have reportedly seen their eco-camps and homes demolished with little compensation. In a particularly shocking move, graves in the local cemetery were reportedly exhumed to make way for a new parking facility.

“This is not development as the Jebeleya see it,” said British travel writer Ben Hoffler, who has worked closely with Sinai tribes. “It’s a top-down project serving outsiders’ interests. A new urban world is being built around a Bedouin tribe with nomadic heritage — a world they neither asked for nor consented to.”

The controversy has also sparked diplomatic friction between Egypt and Greece. Tensions escalated after an Egyptian court ruled in May that St Catherine’s Monastery sits on state land, granting it only usage rights rather than ownership. Greek Orthodox leaders condemned the decision, warning it threatened the monastery’s future. Following a flurry of negotiations, both governments issued a joint declaration pledging to protect the monastery’s religious and cultural heritage.

UNESCO has expressed deep concern, urging Egypt to halt construction and produce a conservation plan. In July, World Heritage Watch called for the site to be added to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. Campaigners have even reached out to King Charles, patron of the St Catherine Foundation, which supports the preservation of the monastery’s priceless manuscripts and artefacts.

Despite these efforts, construction continues in parts of the area, including new roads across the Plain of el-Raha, historically believed to be where the Israelites waited for Moses during his time on Mount Sinai. Conservationists argue this work is eroding the site’s “outstanding universal value,” which UNESCO says lies in its harmony between natural beauty and spiritual significance.

The project echoes earlier development along Egypt’s Red Sea coast, where industrial-scale tourism displaced Bedouin communities in the 1980s. Many fear St Catherine’s could face a similar fate, with workers brought in from other parts of Egypt while locals are sidelined.

Egypt’s government insists it is “upgrading” Bedouin housing and prioritising environmental preservation. Officials also stress that the project is vital for revitalising the tourism sector, which has been battered by the pandemic, regional instability, and the ongoing war in Gaza. Egypt has set an ambitious target of attracting 30 million tourists annually by 2028.

For now, St Catherine’s Monastery remains open, continuing a 1,500-year legacy of worship and pilgrimage. Yet with bulldozers reshaping its surroundings, there are growing fears that the spiritual tranquillity and centuries-old traditions of this revered site could soon be lost to the demands of modern tourism.