Minister of Local Development and Environment, Manal Awad, has said a proposed integrated investment and tourism management model for the ‘Nabq Protected Area’ aims to address gaps in the management of Egypt’s nature reserves by creating an institutional partnership between the state and the private sector.
The minister made the remarks during a meeting on Tuesday with the Green Sharm Project team and an investment company to review the proposed “Nabq” model, to transform the Nabq Protected Area into a sustainable ecotourism destination.
Minister Awad said the model is designed to balance the protection of sensitive ecosystems with local community empowerment and the attraction of responsible investment that delivers sustainable economic returns.
She also said the Nabq Protected Area was well suited to the initiative because of its unique environmental and tourism assets, including marine and desert ecosystems, mangrove forests, coral reefs and rich biodiversity, making it a strong candidate for a flagship ecotourism project.
The minister said the proposal would shift management from a conservation-only approach to an integrated model that would generate economic and social value without compromising the reserve’s natural assets.
The model calls for a single management entity to oversee tourism, environmental protection, community development and investment, while enforcing environmental standards, restoring damaged ecosystems, integrating local communities into tourism value chains and attracting sustainability-focused investors.
Awad said the framework would combine environmental management expertise with tourism and investment capabilities, while preserving government oversight through the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, which would retain responsibility for environmental regulation, investment approvals and licensing.
She outlined a three-phase implementation roadmap beginning with the establishment of the institutional framework and infrastructure, followed by expansion through major investments and community development programmes, before achieving financial sustainability and positioning Nabq as a global ecotourism brand.
Awad said the model would provide sustainable financing for conservation efforts, reduce the carbon footprint of tourism activities, improve livelihoods through direct and indirect job creation, and increase tourism spending by diversifying Egypt’s tourism offerings.
She added that the Nabq model could be replicated across other protected areas in Egypt, creating a nationwide network of environmentally protected and economically productive nature reserves.
Awad also stressed the need to complete the legal framework for the project, strengthen governance through a smart data platform to monitor environmental and financial performance, deepen community participation and develop a unified international brand for Egypt’s ecotourism destinations.
