Red Sea Governor Blames Tourism Growth for Water Crisis, Says Two New Stations Coming

The Red Sea governor said rising tourist numbers are a driving factor behind the region's ongoing water crisis, and that the governorate is preparing to bring two new water stations online, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.

The report does not say when the stations will open, what capacity they will add, where they will be built, or whether they are desalination plants or conventional treatment facilities — those details were not included in the governor's statement as reported.

The remarks add an official explanation to a shortage Hurghada News has tracked for weeks. The governorate previously capped water prices at EGP 140 per cubic meter with a EGP 100,000 fine for violators, after residents in Hurghada and Ras Ghareb reported supply dropping to once every six to ten days. A new desalination plant north of Hurghada, designed to produce 10,000 cubic meters a day, has also been under study, and a break on the Karimat line feeding Hurghada was reported and repaired earlier this summer.

Tying the shortage directly to tourism numbers is a new element. Hurghada's hotels have been running near or at full occupancy for two consecutive months this summer, and each additional guest bed adds to daily demand in a governorate that leans heavily on desalination and long pipelines from inland sources.

For residents, the acknowledgment may explain why relief hasn't kept pace with announcements — a station takes time to build even once confirmed. For visitors, there is no indication hotel water service has been affected; the price cap and shortage reports so far have concerned residential districts.

What we still don't know: which stations, when they open, and how much capacity they will add to the network.