Update - GPS Ban in Egypt Lifted

Link to blog below at this site

Egypt lifts its unenforceable ban on GPS

Sunday, April 19, 2009 (05:08 UTC)

As Egypt's Daily News points out, the only two remaining countries banning GPS device use by citizens are now Syria and North Korea.

It will be interesting to see whether the early adopters of Egyptian iPhones, sold until now without GPS functionality turned on, will be able to get the GPS chip turned on via a firmware or software upgrade. Or else, it really sucks to be a law-abiding early adopter in Egypt.

Cairo-based friend and blogger The Arabist recounts an interesting rumor doing the rounds there as to why this change, now:

Ahmed Ezz, Gamal Mubarak’s right-hand man, imported a luxury vehicle equipped with GPS that customs did not want to release. So he asked his buddy Gamal [son of President Mubarak] to change the regulations.

The Arabist goes on to say he thinks the story is likely apocryphal, but it is telling nonetheless that this kind rumor has legs in Egypt, because many people consider it to be an entirely plausible explanation of how government policy is made.

Egypt Desert Safari's - Beware the boogey man!!!

Egypt releases French tourists after 'dangerous' safari. (Egypt Daily news Nov 8, 2008)

The tourists, aged 42 to 85, were arrested on November 4th in the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alum after a safari to the nearby Wadi el Ghadir, organized by a local tour operator. Tourists were released after short detention. Tour operators required security permits to conduct desert safari's.

This regulation follows the world news kidnapping of 11 tourists kidnapped in a very remote desert location, by armed bandits in September this year. The tourists were released after a shoot out with bandits and Sudanese troops that killed 6 hostage takers.

So - the moral of story - "if kidnappers don't get you the police will".

Why is an 85 year old person, or persons, doing on a safari in first place? As far as health risk, kidnappers were likely the least of their worries.

Why did police arrest the tourists? It is the tour operators requirement for security arrangements. I think this means security forces would need to accompany all safari groups for a fee, plus food and drinks, and likely tips.

Be sure to bring your Nokia N95 you bought outside Egypt just in case you get lost and need to tell some one your location. GPS is banned in Egypt so one cannot buy a cell phone or any other device that has GPS. Nokia is not going to sell a crippled N95, with no GPS in Egypt, so all of us can simply buy them outside Egypt.

Update - in shop on Road 9 see they are selling Nokia N96 for 5000 LE with GPS crippled. So much for Nokia standing up and saying they refuse to sell crippled phones to Egypt because of ban on GPS. No guts no glory.