Vegans in Egypt: Together We Stand

Now weekly meetups and events have been organised in vegan friendly restaurants. The community is now coming together

Running a fully vegan restaurant in Dahab, Egypt has been fascinatingly impressive. Veganzania is located inside a scuba dive center, where I got to meet different people and different diet approaches with healthy lifestyle seekers. At first, many people were iffy about the vegan options offered in Veganzania, but over time not only did everyone learn that the food we serve is nutrient-dense, but also many others started searching for information on veganism as an ideology. It is not surprising at all since the scene has been effectively changing in Egypt. On several levels, the vegan community has been more connected in recent times, which is leading to more opportunities for options and changes.

On a large scale, the vegan community throughout Egypt has been connected through social media. Now weekly meetups and events have been organised in vegan-friendly restaurants. The community is now coming together, so people know each other including the most active figures such as admins & event organisers, new members and the most active participants who rarely miss an event. On social media, interactive discussions are continuous, so questions are asked and answers are offered, recipes and recommendations are shared along with demonstrating topics about animals.

In Dahab, (the small scale) the community is also connected thanks to social media including all the newcomers who started initiating groups and events. Now the Dahabian vegans have created a few meet up points in restaurants. Some of the points aren’t strictly plant-based, but the efforts of the vegan community here have resulted in more restaurants offering vegan options. Interestingly, restaurants in Dahab have been considering the community’s suggestions, so new items such as tofu, tempeh and veganized recipes are now offered by them.

The connectedness holding the community together is taking vegans to another level of awareness, which is influencing non-vegans as well. By observing my restaurant closely, I can see more vegans considering healthier options such as sugar-free and gluten-free options. For my non-vegan customers, they are now feeling nourished with the food in Veganzania and by now they know the ingredients used. To my surprise, they now ask questions about veganism as a lifestyle and all the benefits coming with it and I happily answer. With this progress, I expect more vegan businesses will come to existence.

By Jenna Kamal Vegan Activist & Restaurant owner in Dahab, Egypt