A Bedouin in desert sand dunes at al-Galamun, near Dahkla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. The past few decades have been difficult for traditional Bedouin culture due to changing surroundings and the establishment of new resort towns on the Red Sea coast, such as Sharm el-Sheikh. Bedouins in Egypt are facing a number of challenges: erosion of traditional values, unemployment, and various land issues. The Western Desert covers an area of some 700,000 km2, thereby accounting for around two-thirds of Egypt's total land area. Dakhla Oasis is one of the seven oases of Egypt's Western Desert (part of the Libyan Desert). It lies in the New Valley Governorate, 350 km (220 mi.) and measures approximately 80 km (50 mi) from east to west and 25 km (16 mi) from north to south.
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