A car-like jet ski runs on the sea in the resort city of New Alamein, Matrouh Province, Egypt, on July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
A car on the sea: in Egypt's Mediterranean resort city of New Alamein, holidaymakers are enjoying riding car-like jet skis equipped with a video screen, bluetooth speakers and GPS.
ALAMEIN, Egypt, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- In Egypt's Mediterranean tourist resort city of New Alamein, beachgoers now start to enjoy riding car-like jet skis which were designed and built by a young man and his two friends.
"I used to live abroad and I thought about designing the car and putting it up for sale in the Egyptian market," Karim Amin, the project founder, told Xinhua.
After moving back to Egypt a year ago, Amin launched the project together with his friends, who had already tried manufacturing Amin's vehicle, and succeeded in building their first jet ski after three weeks of hard work.
Holidaymakers experience a car-like jet ski on the sea in the resort city of New Alamein, Matrouh Province, Egypt, on July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
"All the components we use are made in Egypt ... Only the engine is imported," the 29-year-old said as he observed tourists riding his car-like jet skis.
Amin noted that he is also trying to build an electric engine to make the vehicle 100-percent made in Egypt.
The three friends have so far produced 34 jet skis of the kind, with more to be manufactured as many orders have arrived.
"I have received orders from Egyptian customers. We are considering marketing our products outside Egypt," Amin told Xinhua.
The large fiberglass body of the vehicle makes it safer than common jet skis and easier to drive, Amin said, adding the top speed of the car-like jet ski is 70 km per hour.
Holidaymakers experience a car-like jet ski on the sea in the resort city of New Alamein, Matrouh Province, Egypt, on July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
"We have so far built several models, such as the two-seat model and the five-seat one. The prices of the jet car range between 19,000 U.S. dollars and 45,000 dollars," he said.
Amin, who recently started an entertainment company in New Alamein, put up some of his jet cars for rent to offer tourists a taste of new adventure.
"Holidaymakers really enjoy riding the car, which helps revive the tourism sector that has badly hit by the spread of coronavirus pandemic," Amin said.
Mohammed Hamad, a tourist from Qatar, tried the jet car and expressed hope that he can get one back to his country.
"I usually spend my holidays in Egypt and I really enjoyed the new experience," the young man told Xinhua after he finished a 15-minute ride.
"The jet car is very safe and my family members drove it easily ... I will definitely buy one when they start exporting them," Hamad said excitedly.
Holidaymakers take a group photo with a car-like jet ski on seaside in the resort city of New Alamein, Matrouh Province, Egypt, on July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Chairman of Egypt's Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) Ahmed Youssef said the Egyptian tourism sector has recovered by 40 percent amid COVID-19 precautionary measures, expecting more recovery when more countries lift lockdowns and travel bans.
Tourism is one of the key sources of income for Egypt and accounts for about 12 percent of the country's GDP. It brought a record high of 13 billion dollars in revenues in 2019 when more than 13 million tourists visited the North African country. ■
