After the takeover of Sinai by Egypt there were all of a sudden another five diving centres to handle,
one in Nuweiba, one in Dahab and three in Naama Bay near Sharm el Sheikh, owned by the Egyptian
government. My job was to re-open the station in Dahab and to establish a running operation for my
future customers. For a few months I was the only foreigner and diver in Dahab, spending my time
diving, re-opening the old dive sites and making them known to the egyptian authorities in Dahab.
actually doing underwater. The idea of recreational diving was simply not known yet. Another factor
was the authorities lack of knowledge about the area and me moving to a dive site was always an
adventure as I was followed by the police. They would wait for me to exit the water, then question
me what I did down there. It took months of patience to make them understand what a diving centre
was actually all about.
to the Sinai. Almost a 100% of the tourists were divers then, sleeping on the beach as there were no hotels
built yet. In late 1986 I supervised and built with some bedouins the first privately owned diving centre
in Naama Bay, Camel Dive Club. At the same time the first hotels like Sanafir and Ghazala were under
construction to celebrate the Sinai Anniversary day on 25. April 1987 with the opening of the first
touristic infrastructures. After finishing Camel Dive Club I left Sinai for the Maldives to work there
as diving instructor for a season.