In 2020, on a small beach in the city of Al-Arish in Egypt’s North Sinai, an environmental initiative called “The White Sea” was launched. Started by two young locals with their own resources, without funding or external support, its goal was to protect the Mediterranean coastline from pollution.
Abdelrahman Essam, founder of The White Sea initiative, told Green in Arabic how their journey began, explaining that it all started at Al-Raysa Beach — one of the most beautiful and most frequented beaches in North Sinai, bustling with visitors both in summer and winter.
A New Dawn — How Did the Initiative Begin?
Abdelrahman and the volunteers behind the initiative start their day at dawn, heading to the beach right after the Fajr prayer.
“We would begin cleaning until around 9 a.m., documenting the process and sharing it on social media to encourage others to start with themselves. Our motto was ‘Anyone can start with themselves’,” he explains.
This motto became the driving force of the initiative’s journey into the world of marine conservation. Despite the challenges and limited resources, these young people proved that real change begins on the ground.
Initiative Achievements: 10 Tons of Waste Collected
Since its launch, the initiative has carried out dozens of beach clean-up campaigns along Al-Arish’s shores and surrounding areas, with volunteers from all age groups taking part. According to Abdelrahman, nearly 10 tons of waste — mostly plastic — have been collected, making The White Sea one of the most active environmental movements in North Sinai.
The initiative has also participated in significant local and international events, such as World Environment Day, World Cleanup Day, and the Mediterranean Day, and has collaborated with numerous organizations. These efforts helped amplify the voice of Sinai’s youth on national and international platforms — something the team considers one of their most notable achievements.
Key Objectives of “The White Sea”
“We believe that the environment is a shared societal responsibility, not solely the duty of governments or international organizations,” says the founder, outlining the initiative’s main goals. These include cleaning beaches of waste, raising environmental awareness in the community, engaging children and youth in environmental action, and linking Sinai’s local identity to the values of sustainability.
Looking ahead, The White Sea aims to expand its work to other coastal cities in Egypt and connect its efforts to a wider network of young environmentalists across the Arab world.
Future Plans and Challenges
At present, the initiative is focused on organizing regular beach clean-up campaigns, conducting environmental awareness workshops in schools and youth centers, and producing simple visual content for social media.
“Our ultimate goal is to build an environmentally conscious community that starts here in North Sinai,” Abdelrahman says.
The initiative also faces numerous challenges that it strives to overcome. These range from operating in a highly complex environment, with limited funding and logistical support, to the lack of recycling and waste-sorting facilities, minimal media coverage for environmental efforts in North Sinai, and the need to instill a new environmental culture within the local community.
