The Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS) in Egypt has announced that 23 diving centres in the South Sinai area have been closed down.
The centres, including one in Taba, eight in Dahab and 14 in Sharm el Sheikh, were operating without an official Ministry of Tourism license.
Although the dive centres were asked to operate legally, they did not comply and the CDWS ordered them to be shut down. The CDWS said the closure of the centres was a major step in raising standards throughout the dive industry in Egypt.
The CDWS is an official body that regulates Egypt's diving and watersports industry. Dive centres in Egypt must have a license from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and the centre must be a member of CDWS to renew its license.
Dive centres on the CDWS's black list are:
Sea Pioneers, Dahab
Sertaki, Dahab
Oxygene, Dahab
Dahab Tec Divers, Dahab
Red Sea Ringers, Dahab
Sea View Divers, Dahab
Centre at Rokita Hotel, Dahab
Callyez Aqua Tec, Dahab
SSX Hammer Head, Sharm El Sheikh
Divers Planet, Sharm El Sheikh
Dive For fun, Sharm El Sheikh
Sea & C, Sharm El Sheikh
Blue Lagoon, Sharm El Sheikh*
Magic Dive Club, Sharm El Sheikh
Brother Dive College, Sharm El Sheikh
Red Sea Ringers, Sharm El Sheikh
Aqua Nabq, Sharm El Sheikh
Halala Balala, Sharm El Sheikh
Easy Divers, Sharm El Sheikh
Divers Bay, Sharm El Sheikh
Centre at Aida Hotel (NOT Scuba Divers Red Sea), Sharm El Sheikh
Absolut Divers, Sharm El Sheikh
Taba Divers, Taba
* The black listed diving operator referred to as Blue Lagoon on this list refers to a dive centre that used to operate at the Continental Hotel, Sharm el Sheikh. This listing does not refer to Blue Lagoon dive centre which is operating legally at La Perla Hotel Hadaba.
