When the wind picks up around the coastal town of Dahab in Egypt, it usually brings an exciting spectacle – the kites. On these cool, breezy days, colourful rigs swoop through the air with adventurous passengers in tow, skimming the surface of the Red Sea with their boards before soaring higher into the sky.
Hamza Ismail, 19, one of Egypt’s top kiteboarders, is often among them, leaping above the water as if he’s dancing with the wind.
“There’s nothing better than the sea,” he tells The National, talking about the thrill of harnessing the desert breeze around the Blue Lagoon and soaring more than 24 metres into the sky with his board. Kiteboarding, the high-octane sport in which athletes ride ocean waves while attached to a kite, has been growing in popularity for some time. Here in Egypt, there’s something even more special about the kiting community.
Not only is Ismail a celebrated Egyptian kiteboarder, having made the podium at the Red Bull Winds of Sinai competition for three consecutive years, but he’s also from the Bedouin community – adding to his unique sporting credentials. Descending from ancient Arab tribes, this group of formerly nomadic people has preserved their traditions, rules and customs across the Middle East, some
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