British American Tobacco, Egypt (BAT), together with the Egyptian Hotel Association (EHA) in Alexandria and Hurghada, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with immediate effect, aimed at providing hotel guests in both cities with designated non-smoking and smoking areas.

The initiative has been developed under the framework of BAT’s global “Respecting Choices” program, which ensures that both non-smoking and smoking customers are equally catered to through a mutually beneficial solution.

Through this project, clear signage will be available in outlets directing both non-smokers and smokers to their respective areas.

The “Respecting Choices” project targets ETS through two methods: Segregation, which features both smoking and non-smoking areas in the same room, using airflow to limit the spread of smoke; and Separation, which features smoking rooms or lounges, using walls along with airflow techniques to prevent the smoke from spreading.

zawya

In a country where smoking is cheap and often described as a “national habit”, an Egyptian government enforcement of a two-year-old law banning smoking on public places is facing stiff resistance.

Egyptian authorities have issued an ultimatum to the owners of cafes in several cities across the country to stop offering shisha, the popular flavoured tobacco-filled water pipe,  or face hefty fines. Many say a total ban on shisha would have a damaging effect on Egypt’s vital tourism industry.

Al-Jazeera

However, female circumcision is still widespread, says Ann Way, a researcher with the organization Measure DHS, which has been collecting information on the practice since 1995.

Measure DHS helps countries calculate vital statistics by doing large surveys, often repeated over the course of years. Way and her colleagues asked women about female circumcision again in 2000, and most recently, last year. She says they are starting to see a reduction in the number of young women who have been circumcised.

The government ban, along with the well-publicized deaths, led some people – most importantly women and religious leaders – to start questioning the practice.

Interestingly, fewer wealthy girls and women currently have the practice performed on them. Only about a third of girls in the wealthiest 20 percent of Egypt’s population will be circumcised by the time they’re 18. In contrast, in the poorest 20 percent, about three-quarters of the girls will end up circumcised.

Way says attitudes and practices change slowly. She says even if fewer girls are circumcised, it will take time for the total number of adult women who have been circumcised to drop.

VOA News

The uniquely designed spa at Port Ghalib occupies 1,700 square metres, with sixteen treatment areas including three couples rooms, two Thai treatment rooms, and one wet treatment room with classically designed stone beds. The spa includes a sauna, steam room, changing rooms, fully equipped gym, and traditional hammams to ensure the ultimate experience of rejuvenation and relaxation. A separate wet room offers a steam room and shower, plus a state-of-the-art ice room.

Therapists offer all the traditional treatments such as Thai, henna and aroma massages, as well as a comprehensive bath menu. The Six Senses Spa at Port Ghalib is located just five minutes from Marsa Alam International Airport on the Red Sea and is only two and a half hours, by road, from the Valley of the Kings.

Treatment Abroad