On the diplomatic front, while the West has sanctioned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Egypt’s foreign ministry on Thursday called for “dialogue and diplomatic solutions” rather than “escalation”.
After a six-year hiatus, direct flights from Russia to Sharm el-Sheikh and Hourghada on the Red Sea resumed in 2021, giving hope to Egypt’s tourism sector – which employs two million people and generates more than 10% of GDP – which has been at half-mast since the Arab Spring in 2011 and, as it recovered, was hit hard by travel restrictions to combat Covid-19.
Many Ukrainian tourists are also used to these resorts, which specialise in full-board accommodation in huge seaside resorts and which receive 65% of tourists visiting Egypt.