Dahab is a small Egyptian town on the South-East coast of the Sinai Peninsula, approximately 80km North-East of Sharm el-Sheikh. Formerly a Bedouin fishing village, this town is now considered to be one of Egypt’s most treasured diving destinations. A local story concerning the town’s name is that it stems from the floods that wash through the town every five or six years, dragging with it great amounts of sand. During this time, the town is cut in two by the flood and the bay is stirred up with sands that turn it a golden yellow. According to the Bedouins of the area however, the name “Dahab” has a different origin. When the Bedouin people arrived they called it “Waqaat Thahaab” which translates literally as “Time Goes”. This name derived from the fact that when you were there, you could easily lose track of time as the days would begin to run together. The name was then shortened to “Thahaab”, but was misunderstood by travelers who thought they were saying Dahab.
Following the Six-Day War or the “War of 1967”, Israel launched a series of pre-emptive airstrikes against Egyptian airfields and other facilities. Egyptian forces were caught by surprise, and nearly the entirety of Egypt’s military aerial assets were destroyed, giving Israel the advantage of air supremacy, simultaneously the Israeli military launched a ground offensive into the Sinai Peninsula as well as the Gaza Strip. Sinai was occupied by Israel after Nasser ordered an evacuation and Dahab became known as Di-Zahav, after one of the stations for the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt. The Sinai Peninsula was restored to Egyptian rule under the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in 1982. Egypt’s former president had helped with the arrival of many local and international tourism companies and hotel chains, the establishment of many other ancillary facilities has since made this towns resorts a popular destination with tourists.
Dahab can be divided into three major parts.
- The North of Masbat, which includes the Bedouin village Asalah
- The South of Masbat is Mashraba, is more touristic and has considerably more hotels
- The South-West of Medina which includes the Laguna area, is famous for its excellent shallow-water kitesurfing and windsurfing
