Liveaboard vessel operators in the Red Sea want the Egyptian government to allow more time to hire and train qualified engineers for their boats.
New maritime regulations now call for liveaboard operators to have at least six certified crew members, among them two engineers.
The new regulations came in the wake of a spate of liveaboard accidents between April 2023 and November 2024, resulting in deaths as well as international scrutiny.
Last month, British government investigators began taking a hard look at the recent spate of dive boat accidents in the Red Sea involving UK citizens.
The problem is that while more than 1,200 personnel would be needed to work on 200 liveaboards and another 2,000 smaller day boats, only 88 people have the required qualifications, according to Ahram Online.
Having so few qualified people runs the risk of dive excursions being cancelled and unhappy customers, and the dive industry in the Red Sea is a major part of Egypt’s tourist economy.
