Administration-wise, Sinai has been divided into two governorates since
1979: North Sinai, in which agriculture is to be promoted, with its capital of El-
Arish, and South Sinai, with Et-Tor as a capital. For the southern governorate
the aim is to develop tourism further. Sharm esh-Sheikh, with its international
airport, has already become a great attraction for mostly younger people from
all over the world who want to enjoy scuba-diving or snorkelling in some of
the world’s most spectacular coral reefs, and also the nightlife and golfing.
Development on the Sinai peninsula was until recently impeded by the dif-
ficulty of communication with the rest of the country across the Suez Canal,
the small ferries being inadequate. The situation improved greatly when in
1982 the 160-m-long Ahmed-Hamdi Tunnel under the canal was opened. In
2001, two new bridges were inaugurated, the Qantara bridge for motor cars
and the Ferdan iron bridge for trains.