Hayah - The red sea community project

Hayah, meaning ‘Life’ in Arabic, is HEPCA’s most ambitious environmental project yet. The project was launched on Earth Day, April 22nd 2008; the largest annual environmental event that is celebrated simultaneously around the globe by more than half a billion people.

The aim of Hayah is to involve all sections of the Red Sea community working towards the following objectives:

1. Raising awareness

Raising environmental awareness of multiple stakeholders in our Red Sea community (e.g. diving and water sport operators, hotels, schools, tourists, tour operators / travel agents and local communities / organisations).

2. Education and responsibility

Educating all stakeholders in the importance of individual and collective responsibility for our environment and providing ideas, methods and support for each and every one of us to make a difference.

3. Active participation

Encouraging all stakeholders in environmental citizenship and assisting them in positive actions to help ensure the overall sustainability of our Red Sea environment (on land and water).

Hayah was launched on Earth Day with a series of educational and clean-up events. The project is not a one-off, one-day event however. A full program of environmental actions, ongoing projects, awareness materials and resources will be rolled out over the coming months. More information on this exciting community project will be released soon including a complete micro site dedicated to Hayah.

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Jordan Red Sea Climate & Environment

Jordan is surrounded by Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The fertile Jordan Valley on the western side of the country, the east bank plateau and a desert which extends into Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq comprises the main geographical zones of the country. The northern pine forests meet the cultivated slopes of the Jordan Valley, which are covered in cedar, olive and eucalyptus trees.

The Dead Sea region is dominated with mud and salt flats. It is impossible for vegetation to survive here, however to the northeast of the Dead Sea, you can find boars, badgers and goats. The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water on earth as well as the lowest point in the world. The deserts sustain the usual camels, desert fox, sand rats and hares. The Gulf of Aqaba boasts a huge variety of Red Sea tropical fish and coral. Jordan's largest sanctuary is the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, where gazelle and oryx have once more been reintroduced to the country.

Every country has its own delicate eco-system. So be responsible while you are appreciating the beauty. If you are in the desert, the rule is Pack it in, Pack it out. If you are in a protected park, stick to the trail. Wandering away can cause unforeseen damage to the delicate plant and animal life. Be conscious of things like water consumption, proper waste disposal, and turning off air-conditioning units when away from your room. Water is a precious commodity in the desert regions.

In the Red Sea, do not feed the fish, do not collect or remove any material either living or dead, and do not touch the coral reef with any part of your body including your fins! Thanks to a growing number of dedicated environmental agencies, there is a greater knowledge of Reef Protection awareness. For example, boats can no longer anchor to the coral.

Saudi Arabia Red Sea Climate & Environment

Saudi Arabia is bordered by Oman, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan. Most of Saudi Arabia's 2.2 million square kilometers is desert. Approximately half of the country is covered by the largest sand desert in the world, the Rub' al-Khali meaning Empty Quarter in Arabic. The Western part of Saudi Arabia is dominated by a long mountain chain running the entire length of the country.

With the immense amount of deserts in the country, there is not a lot of flora and fauna. Saudi Arabia has a number of shrub species and tamarinds. Evergreens grow in the forested regions of Asir National Park. Camels are the most visible wildlife along with hedgehogs and sand cats in some areas, and Hamadryas baboons in Asir National Park.

From snow to sandstorms, the varied terrain around the Red Sea can take you from sea level through deserts to high mountains. In some countries, the temperatures can change drastically from season to season or even overnight.



Every country has its own delicate eco-system. So be responsible while you are appreciating the beauty. If you are in the desert, the rule is v Pack it in, Pack it out. If you are in a protected park, stick to the trail. Wandering away can cause unforeseen damage to the delicate plant and animal life. Be conscious of things like water consumption, proper waste disposal, and turning off air-conditioning units when away from your room. Water is a precious commodity in the desert regions.

In the Red Sea, do not feed the fish, do not collect or remove any material either living or dead, and do not touch the coral reef with any part of your body including your fins! Thanks to a growing number of dedicated environmental agencies, there is a greater knowledge of Reef Protection awareness. For example, boats can no longer anchor to the coral.

Sudan Red Sea Climate & Environment

Sudan is the largest country in Africa, taking up 2,505,813 square kilometers of northeast and central Africa. The country includes virtually every geographical feature, from the harsh deserts of the north to the rain forests rising on its southern borders. The Nile is the link that runs through Sudan, and influences the lives of Sudan's people, even though many of them farm and herd far from the Nile or its two main branches, the Blue Nile and the White Nile.

Northern Sudan has two distinctive parts - the desert and the Nile Valley. East of the Nile lies the Nubian Desert and to the west, the Libyan Desert. Both deserts are stony with sand dunes draped over the landscape. The Nile Valley flows through the desert, but the strip of habitable land is no more than two kilometers wide and productivity depends on the annual flood.

The central clay plains provide the backbone of Sudan's economy because productive settlements cluster around available water. Furthermore, in the heartland of the central clay plains lies the jazirah where the great Gezira Scheme was developed. The Gezira Scheme project grows cotton for export and produces more than half of Sudan's revenue and export earnings.

Northeast of the central clay plains lies eastern Sudan, which is divided between desert and semi desert. The semi desert area has a rolling landscape that provides good grazing for cattle, sheep, and goats. Just east of here is an irregular geological formation known as the Qash Delta. Originally a depression, it has been filled with sand and silt by the flash floods of the Qash River, creating a delta above the surrounding plain. Extending 100 kilometers, the area watered by the Qash is a rich grassland with bountiful cultivation. Trees and bushes provide grazing for the camels from the north and the rich moist soil provides an abundance of food crops and cotton.

The Red Sea Hills are drier and cooler than the surrounding land. They stretch northward into Egypt where they make up a jumbled mass of hills. Below the hills sprawls the dry and barren coastal plain of the Red Sea where the sea is thick with coral reefs.

Every country has its own delicate eco-system. So be responsible while you are appreciating the beauty. If you are in the desert, the rule is Pack it in, Pack it out. If you are in a protected park, stick to the trail. Wandering away can cause unforeseen damage to the delicate plant and animal life. Be conscious of things like water consumption, proper waste disposal, and turning off air-conditioning units when away from your room. Water is a precious commodity in the desert regions.

In the Red Sea, do not feed the fish, do not collect or remove any material either living or dead, and do not touch the coral reef with any part of your body including your fins! Thanks to a growing number of dedicated environmental agencies, there is a greater knowledge of Reef Protection awareness.

Yemen Red Sea Climate & Environment

Yemen is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Oman. The sands of the great Arabian Desert pour into the country from the north and stretch down to the southern coast. However, Yemen is the least sandy place on the Arabian Peninsula, due to the twice-yearly monsoon winds which dump enormous quantities of water on the country. In the west, the country's highest mountains rise to well over 3000m then slope away to a high fertile plateau where you can still find active volcanoes and hot springs. Two-thirds of Yemen is uninhabited.

Along the Tihama, vegetation ranges from mangroves to sand-dwelling grasses and shrubs. More rain falls in the foothills where a few evergreen plants such as palms and acacias grow. Tropical plants grow in the mountains' higher areas including commercial plantations of tropical fruits; with the highest slopes cultivated by coffee and qat growers. The plateaus are used by sorghum, vegetable and spice growers.



Every country has its own delicate eco-system. So be responsible while you are appreciating the beauty. If you are in the desert, the rule is Pack it in, Pack it out. If you are in a protected park, stick to the trail. Wandering away can cause unforeseen damage to the delicate plant and animal life. Be conscious of things like water consumption, proper waste disposal, and turning off air-conditioning units when away from your room. Water is a precious commodity in the desert regions.

In the Red Sea, do not feed the fish, do not collect or remove any material either living or dead, and do not touch the coral reef with any part of your body including your fins! Thanks to a growing number of dedicated environmental agencies, there is a greater knowledge of Reef Protection awareness.

Israel Red Sea Climate & Environment

Israel is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Lebanon and Syria to the north, Jordan to the east and Egypt to the south. The area of Israel and the Palestinian Territories comprises 20,770 sq km in Israel and 6220 sq km in Gaza and the West Bank. The population totals 6.1 million in Israel and 3.5 million in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel's main geographic feature is the Rift Valley, which starts in Turkey and runs through Israel, continuing all the way down into Africa. Israel is a fairly dry country with the river Jordan as the only main river. The Dead Sea, which lies between Israel and Jordan, is the saltiest body of water in the world and also the lowest place in the world.

Due to the joining of 3 different geographical zones, Israel enjoys a wealth of wildlife. It's in the wet and mountainous North where the agriculture is maintained. Here you will find forest and streams filled with otters. The south of the country is desert with wild tulips, irises and date palms. Israel is the second biggest flyway for migratory birds, with species from all over the world converging here.

Israel has over 300 national parks taking up a fifth of the country. The Israelis are notorious for turning the desert into a garden, as well as having reintroduced a number of species which have become locally extinct since Biblical times. For information on national parks and environmental issues, contact the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) - Hashsela 4, Tel-Aviv 66103. Phone: ++972 3 537 4425




Every country has its own delicate eco-system. So be responsible while you are appreciating the beauty. If you are in the desert, the rule is v Pack it in, Pack it out. If you are in a protected park, stick to the trail. Wandering away can cause unforeseen damage to the delicate plant and animal life. Be conscious of things like water consumption, proper waste disposal, and turning off air-conditioning units when away from your room. Water is a precious commodity in the desert regions.

In the Red Sea, do not feed the fish, do not collect or remove any material either living or dead, and do not touch the coral reef with any part of your body including your fins! Thanks to a growing number of dedicated environmental agencies, there is a greater knowledge of Reef Protection awareness. For example, boats can no longer anchor to the coral.

Eritrea Red Sea Climate & Environment

Eritrea is a small country on the east coast of Africa covering an area of 124, 320 sq. kilometers. It shares its northern border with Sudan, its southern border with Djibouti and Ethiopia.

Eritrea is divided into 3 main geographical zones; the western lowlands, the fertile farming central highland region, and the eastern escarpment and coastal plains. The eastern part of the country is mostly desert and is home to one of the most hostile & hostile regions on earth, Danakalia. Northeast of Asmara you will find a tropical woodland. Over 350 tiny islands dot the waters of Eritrea's Red Sea coast, over half of which make up the Dahlak Archipelago.

Eritrea's wildlife includes wild cats, Abyssinian hares, jackals, warthogs and gazelles, plus over 500 species of birds. Occasionally you can see elephants and lions (in the west) and oryxes and crocodiles. Underwater life in the Red Sea includes magnificent coral reefs, dugongs and turtles. Sadly, due to the war and the resulting destruction of habitats, almost every animal in Eritrea now faces extinction within the country itself.

Every country has its own delicate eco-system. So be responsible while you are appreciating the beauty. If you are in the desert, the rule is v Pack it in, Pack it out. If you are in a protected park, stick to the trail. Wandering away can cause unforeseen damage to the delicate plant and animal life. Be conscious of things like water consumption, proper waste disposal, and turning off air-conditioning units when away from your room. Water is a precious commodity in the desert regions.

In the Red Sea, do not feed the fish, do not collect or remove any material either living or dead, and do not touch the coral reef with any part of your body including your fins! Thanks to a growing number of dedicated environmental agencies, there is a greater knowledge of Reef Protection awareness.