A word of caution for female tourists visiting Egypt: be careful of the many of the men working in tourist areas in Egypt.
Although the vast majority of Egyptians have a high sense of honor and good conduct, it seems that tourist areas seem to attract a relatively high concentration of people with lax morals, who would exploit tourists in many ways. It can manifest itself as persistent aggressive begging, peddling cheap goods, charging 10X the normal prices for services and goods, and what this article focuses on: exploiting female tourists.
Looking at the bulk of the comments on my notes on compulsory army service in egypt they are mostly from non-Egyptian women who married (or intend to marry) an Egyptian man, and army service has become an obstacle.
So, once you here the word "habibti" (meaning "my love" in Arabic), and before you call him "Habibi", let alone go down the marriage route, read on below for more information.
The exploitation happens in many forms, but is normally centered around one of the following:
Easy and Free Sex
Many tourists come from countries where sex is more freely practiced outside of marriage. Youn g Egyptian men working in tourist areas who
are not married see this as an opportunity, and are met with acceptance from the female tourists.
A source for Money
Many Egyptian men who practice this scam view the "wealthy" tourist as a source of income. They keep asking their "girl friend", "fiance" or "wife" for money for various excuses, just like a professional scammer would play a confidence game on a victim.
An Opporunity for Immigration
Some of those men want to get out of Egypt, and see their marriage as a way to gain residence and citizenship in a Western country. The economy in Egypt has been stagnant for decades, and poverty, lack of opportunity and the high cost of marriage lures some youth to trying these tricks.
Why it works?
There are several factors that work in favor of the Egyptian scammers here.
One factor that helps is that most Egyptian men look desirable to Western women, being of darker complexion than their compatriots. The fact that the foreigners are white blonds work in making the women attractive and desirable for Egyptian men.
Another factor is that the woman is coming to the tourist place to have a good time. It may be a break from stressful work or study, or perhaps a past relationship. This helps blind her to what is happening.
Yet another factor is the cultural differences which also create temporary blindness.
Moreover, those workers being away from their village or city of origin, where they would be observed by their extended family and friends tend to make it easier for them to engage in sexual relationships and scams without being scrutinized by acquaintenaces, and no stigma is attached to these behaviors.
Finally, the scammers have perfected their techniques over the years, and are very skillful at what they do.
Blacklists
Blacklists have emerged on the internet, to warn potential female tourists from known exploiters. These have all the faults of user contributed content on the internet in that they can be innacurate, biased, or even rigged by rivals or pranksters. However, in the absence of any other information, they can be useful, provided they are taken with a good deal of skepticism and research and common sense applied.
- An overview article on what a "black list" is, at Arabia.pl.
- Dezy House: Blacklist for Hurghada, in English.
- Dezy House: Blacklist for Sharm El Sheikh, in English.
- Wanted List of Egypt.
- Egyptian Blacklist on Topix.
- KunstKamera blacklist.
Happens everywhere, not only Egypt
Before someone gets the impression that Egypt is a cesspool, and Egyptians are crooks, let me say it is neither.
The problem above is not limited to Egypt by any means. Any country where tourists come in to spend money has its share of exploiters. The above black lists have a Turkish one, and a Tunisian one, and there are lots of stories about French, Italian and Spanish men exploiting women tourists as well.
Of course, there is also the Russian bride fraud targeting well to do men in the West.
So, the problem is universal, although this article focuses on female tourists to Egypt.
Final Thoughts
There are many non-Egyptian women married to Egyptian men happily, so over-generalizing from the cases mentioned, or from workers at tourist resort is wrong. Chances are you will be happy with an Egyptian as a husband if you met him in a more natural settings, e.g. while studying or working, and getting to meet his family as well.
The "artificial" environment in resorts, being on holiday, and surrounded by some scammers lend itself to the disasters described.
So, beware ...
Further Reading
- Marwa Rakha: Relationship Warning: Do not get involved with Egyptian Men (also here).
- Global Voices: "Beware of Egyptian Men" says Canadian Embassy, also by Marwa Rakha.
- Trailing Grouse: Egyptian men marrying women for money.
- Yahoo Answers: Egyptian Men marrying foreign women to get out from Egypt.
- Sex, Sun, Stupidity and Gigolos.
- Amy Robson: n English girl who keeps falling in false love with Egyptian men (she finally returned to Britain).
- Someone searching on KunstKamera: for Honest Egyptian Boys?
- List if sites on Romance Fraud in German, and other languages.
- A movie documentary in the making on holiday romance, specially Hurghada.
- Female Sex Tourism on Wikipedia, has lots of links to extensive articles. While Turkey is listed as a major destination, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco are listed as "minor destinations".
- An article from a Canadian perspective: Sex tourism in full boom. Jamaica, Barbados, Dominican Republic and the Caribbean are the major destination for Canadian women.
Comments
anonym (not verified)
Men is a men egyptian or
Wed, 2013/02/27 - 18:41Men is a men egyptian or not.If he love you he will contact you i think.Stop send a message to him let him take a contact first.
Anonymous (not verified)
Warning
Mon, 2013/03/11 - 11:51I love Tito Goker. He works as Barkeaper Halomy in Sharm el Sheikh. We had to get married. Now he writes a Otherwise he would travel and wanted to meet with you. He infected me to the even with hepatitis C virus. Tito knows someone or someone had sexual contact with him?
Isis (not verified)
???
Wed, 2013/03/13 - 18:50If he has caused you all these problems why do you still love him? You are merely a door mat in his life. Move on.
Anonymous (not verified)
Egyptian con men on the Internet.
Tue, 2013/04/30 - 04:03A facebook page, called: Egyptian men that loved u wrong. Features photos & info. on these online scammers. Insight on Egyptian culture, ideology, & religion is also available for review.
Anonymous (not verified)
Marriage
Mon, 2013/07/15 - 15:45I've been with my egyptian boyfriend a long time and we plan to marry but he has said because he hasn't done his army service and hasn't got his army papers stamped we can not legally marry as to do anything legal he must have his army papers, is this true.
Anonymous (not verified)
Not true. Is he Muslim?
Tue, 2013/07/16 - 10:51Not true. Is he Muslim?
Anonymous (not verified)
don't trust
Mon, 2013/07/22 - 02:40Dear, just read my comments from this site, especiall "continuing story Warning to female tourists thinking of marrying" from page no 5 and stop hoping anything about any Army Egyptian liar, ok? And pick me at carmine.relinquo@yahoo.com for details.
anonym (not verified)
Hi i am so feed up to hear
Tue, 2013/07/16 - 04:20Hi i am so feed up to hear bad stories about women who trust guys in this area. Yes its boring to stay alone after bad divorce and when you are on holiday you see happy couples around you. Offcourse its not fun to be alone fall time. Take a books With you so you can read. I see a tv program about afrika and women who is going there and a buy a guy on her holiday. Some also change guys often they maybe had 3-4 guys on them holiday Its very bad Often this women think its real love but often this women is maybe 50 or 60 years old and her boyfriend is around 30 years old and they think this is real love Everyone who is going on holiday have to use thems brain specially in african countries .(sorry for my english)
Isis (not verified)
Not always the fault of women
Thu, 2013/07/18 - 20:48You are completely missing the point here. Why put ALL the blame on the foreign women when the gigolos set out to deliberately target and scam vulnerable middle aged women. You don't mention that these men can have up to ten or more relationships going at the one time. The gigolos use the women for money, designer clothes, IT devices, visas etc but you seem to imply that they are blameless.
Anonymous (not verified)
I am just wondering if anyone
Wed, 2013/07/17 - 11:27I am just wondering if anyone else has seen a differnce in their Egyptian partner since the political unrest in Egypt on June 30.
I am slightly confused where I am in my relationship with my boyfriend at this present time.
Everything was going really good, not to say that we dont have our ups and downs from time to time about different things.
My boyfriend started to get a bit quiet from this date so I decided to call and ask him what is going on. I could tell he was not in a good mood straight away. So conversation was short. He was online on facebook so I tried to write to him there and he was ask questions about his friends, which I thought was odd but found out from what he was saying he had fallen out with them (probably about politics).
Anyway he then asked me not to write or contact him for a few days, of course I felt hurt and was like a dog with a bone and would not just let it be. The more I wrote to him the more he got mad and he said listen dont write me for a few days until I will write you. I still kept on and he go more mad and to the point where he said to me maybe its best you see your life and be happy. I told him this is not what I want and why. He went silent so I said does he have anything to say and all I got back was that he was going to sleep, goodnight x.
Well its been a week now and I have not heard anything from him. I have noticed he has not been on facebook hardly at all and he has not used skype. So yesterday I sent him a message asking if he was ok and what he means to me. I know he has seen it but I have not had a reply. He has not deleted me from any of his contacts or anything and when he has been in a mood before he has said to me see your own life.
So I am wondering is he still in a really bad mood and feeling down or has he actually left me as we have never in the 2 1/2 years we have known each other gone this long without contact.
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