Red Sea Fishermen Offered EGP 9,000 a Year in State Support — Registration Runs Through the Fishing Associations
Governor Waleed El-Berki says joining the irregular-employment scheme is voluntary and brings six annual grants plus insurance cover. Fishing associations will collect the paperwork.
3 August 2026
Fishermen across the Red Sea governorate can now register for the state's irregular-employment scheme, Governor Waleed El-Berki announced after a meeting on Monday with the Labour Directorate and the heads of the coast's fishing associations.
What registered fishermen get
- Six grants a year totalling EGP 9,000, paid out across the year as direct support against the swings of the fishing seasons
- Cover under the takaful insurance system
- Access to the scheme's social assistance payments
How registration works
The meeting agreed a mechanism that runs through the fishing associations rather than individual paperwork:
- Each association collects the details of fishermen who want to join
- Applications are entered into the Labour Ministry's electronic system
- Contribution payments are to be arranged so they do not burden the fishermen
The governor stressed that joining is entirely voluntary — every fisherman decides for himself.
Why it matters
Fishing is one of the coast's oldest livelihoods, and most of its workers sit outside formal employment, with no insurance safety net when weather, fuel costs or closed seasons cut into income. The scheme is the state's attempt to extend social protection to exactly that group. Fishermen who want to register should contact their local fishing association in Hurghada, Safaga, El Quseir or Marsa Alam.