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In 1967, Israel invaded and took control over the entire peninsula. The Suez Canal, the east bank of which was controlled by Israel, was closed. In 1979 Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty. Israel pulled out of Sinai in several stages, including the removal of its settlements which ended in 1982. The tourist cities are built around previous Israeli settlements. While the original population are bedouin, most of the staff and workers in this area come from Lower Egypt and especially the canal cities. Al Tor is the regional center of Southern Sinai, which includes Dahab, Nuweiba and Sharm. Al-Arish is the regional center of less visited Northern Sinai, close to Rafah and the border to the Gaza strip.

There is a busy border crossing between Eilat, Israel and Taba. See the Taba article for details on crossing in either direction.

Mount Sinai - reputedly the Mount Sinai where Abrahamic scripture claims Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments, and the neighboring Monastery of St. Catherine Ras Abu Galum - nature reserve between Nuweiba and Dahab Basata - one of the oldest and most popular Ecolodges in Sinai. Note that Israelis are forbidden from entering the campsite.

development efforts are complicated because the Sinai Peninsula is a "national security area" due to the sensitive nature of the Egypt's border with Israel and Gaza, and the terrorist attacks in three Sinai resort towns from 2004-2006

recent Bedouin-government tensions as a result of crackdown on illegal practices such as smuggling drugs and trafficking in arms and humans, which hinder development efforts

said that GOE ignored the Sinai for many years, after it was returned to Egypt in the peace treaty with Israel

2- The Railroad Line The railroad line's length reaches 225 km. from Ismailia/Al-Arish/Rafah and includes 13 stations. 6 stations were carried out which are: Al-Qantara East/Gilbana/Balooza/Romana/Negila/Beir Al-Abd. The cost of this line reaches LE 320 million from Al-Ferdan to Beir Al-Abd at a length of 100 km as a first phase, and 7 stations of 125 km as a second phase. 3- Al-Ferdan Bridge (of the railroad) Al-Ferdan Bridge is located on the north of Ismailia and is considered as the longest railroad in the world, as its length reaches 4 km. 4- Mubarak-Al-Salam Bridge The bridge is located in the south of Al-Qantara East city at a length of 9 km, a wide of 20 m and a cost of LE 670 million.

6- Electrical Link projects The electrical lines were established to link Al-Qantara and Al-Arish (220 k), Al-Shat and Ras Al-Naqb (500 k), and the link was implemented on the united electricity network on 26/12/1998.

Transport also contributes to economic development through job creation and its derived economic activities. Accordingly, a large number of direct (freighters, managers, shippers) and indirect (insurance, finance, packaging, handling, travel agencies, transit operators) employment are associated with transport. Producers and consumers take economic decisions on products, markets, costs, location, prices which are themselves based on transport services, their availability, costs and capacity.

1 million acres of arid desert in central Sinai into farmland, at a rate of 200,000 acres per year. The plan includes settling some 1 million Egyptians in the new agricultural regions.

that 3,500 acres will be distributed to recent university graduates and small farmers, who will each be given 2 greenhouses for agricultural use.

a new underground water reservoir was discovered in the northern part of the Sinai’s western desert, which will supply 320 million cubic meters (84.5 billion gallons) of water yearly, enough to irrigate 70,000 acres during the project’s initial stage.

The population of Sinai is less than 500,000, which is less than 1% of the Egyptian population.

The Al-Salam Canal brings water from the Damietta Branch of the Nile, under the Suez Canal to the Sinai Peninsula. First, the project provided irrigation waters to the area west of the Suez Canal. In October 1997, the culvert under the Suez was completed and water became available for irrigation in Block 1, the Tina Plain Zone (50,000 acres). Fields soon began to appear.

The cost of the project is estimated to exceed 7.5 billion Egyptian pounds (about $2 billion).

The reasons for one becoming a Kamikaze pilot stem from the Japanese heritage. From the time that they were young, Japanese children were taught (some call it brainwashed) to accept the fact that their lives belonged to the Emperor

comprehensive economic development is the solution to resolving Sinai's problems including providing security, eliminating smuggling and controlling terrorism

Al Roqei also encouraged the development of the handicraft industry as a way for Sinai Bedouin women to contribute to the family income

Furthermore, the 225-kilometre railroad, linking Ismailia, Al-Arish and Rafah remains incomplete and the equipment and tracks have been stolen, Abdallah Kandil, head of the chamber of commerce in northern Sinai told officials

Broader multi-faceted growth in the peninsula was hampered by a lack of good roads, modern housing, residential and commercial services, and transportation options