Hurghada Turns Sakkala, Aka and the Qatari Mosque Into a One-Way Loop From 1 October

Hurghada begins a month-long trial of new one-way traffic routes on Thursday 1 October, turning four of the city's busiest junctions into a single circular flow, according to Youm7.

The trial applies one route from the new traffic plan drawn up by Red Sea Governor Walid El-Bergi, and covers the Qatari Mosque area, Aka Square, Sakkala Square and the Mina Mosque area.

Under the new layout each leg runs in one direction only, forming a continuous loop:

• Qatari Mosque Square to Aka Square — one way
• Aka Square to Sakkala Square — one way
• Sakkala Square to Mina Mosque — one way
• Mina Mosque back to Qatari Mosque Square — one way

The governorate says the loop is meant to cut the number of intersections and the overlap between vehicles, reducing points of conflict and raising safety on the roads inside the trial area. Pedestrian movement has been taken into account, and directional signs are being put up in the affected areas so drivers can see which way traffic now runs, Youm7 reports.

The trial lasts a full month so officials can watch how traffic behaves on the ground and record the problems and obstacles that emerge, with the intention of fixing them before the new route is made permanent. Ahram Gate reports that the governor launched the trial, describing it as one stage of a wider traffic plan for the city, which is being reorganised to cope with a continuing rise in the number of residents and visitors.

For anyone driving in Hurghada — or being driven — the practical effect from Thursday is that familiar turns around Sakkala and the Qatari Mosque may no longer be possible, and a journey that used to be direct may now mean going round the loop. The reports do not say which individual streets carry each leg, whether taxi and minibus drivers have been briefed, or what happens to on-street parking inside the circuit.