To many Egyptians, summer means sahel. But what exactly does sahel mean? Scattered on Egypt’s northern coastline, the resorts and compounds that lie between the cities of Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh are referred to as sahel (Arabic for coast), and for the past three decades, they have provided the perfect seaside respite for thousands upon thousands of Egypt’s middle and high income families. Until recently, sahel could be summed up as the following: a place to let one’s hair down, swim, play games, eat simple food, and make up for any family time lost to the pace of city life. But this definition has begun to change. Or rather, a new face of sahel has emerged, creating along with it a new definition that now coexists, perhaps a little awkwardly, with the old one. Newer, trendier developments began to appear about halfway between Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria, and they came with a different identity, aesthetic, price point, and target audience. And while both sahels are bursting at the seams during the summertime, some began to feel as though this new side was diluting the real meaning of sahel. The subtle tension between…
