by Ahmed Shafiq
CAIRO, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Parachutes dotted the sky over the Great Pyramids near Cairo, capital of Egypt, as dozens of world-class skydivers participated in the third edition of the country's air sport festival on Sunday and Monday.
Dubbed "Jump Like a Pharaoh," the two-day annual festival is organized by Skydive Egypt company in cooperation with the Egyptian Air Sports Federation.
Right after sunrise, 116 jumpers from 17 countries, including Egypt, rained down from the blue sky, with dozens of fans looking skyward to observe the athletes landing at the drop zone near the pyramids.
"Today, dozens of elite skydivers and world champions are skydiving over the monumental majestic wonder of the world, the Great Pyramids of Giza. This is a very special moment for all of us," Mahmoud Dawoudy, an official from the festival's organizing committee, told Xinhua.
Despite the big challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the event, he noted, the organizing committee was up to its task.
"We are cooperating with the health ministry to ensure the safety of the participants. We are applying very serious anti-coronavirus measures and the athletes are following them perfectly," Dawoudy said.
The festival was supposed to be held in June, but the company decided to hold it in November after the number of coronavirus infections in Egypt declined notably and tourism activity gradually resumed, he added.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Ibrahim Saleh, deputy president of the Egyptian Air Sports Federation, said one of the goals of the festival is to promote Egyptian tourism as well as air sports in Egypt and the region.
"We use such events to promote tourism and sky sports. Last year, we organized some six events, but this one is the first in 2020. We must use it well to attract tourists and encourage young people to learn more about skydiving," the official told Xinhua.
He noted that international jumpers prefer skydiving in Egypt, especially at the Great Pyramids, because its ideal weather is perfect for this sport.
"It was an amazing experience to skydive here. Watching the great pyramids from the sky is totally unique and breathtaking," said Terry Auer, a French skydiver, as he packed up his parachute after a perfect landing at the drop zone.
Almost every skydiver in the world dreams of flying over the pyramids, not only for the beauty and the historical value of the site, but also for the perfect drop zone here, added Auer, who has been a skydiver for five years.
Hussein Abdel-Rahman, a Dubai-based Egyptian skydiver, made all the way to Cairo for this year's festival.
"I cannot miss such a chance. Jumping at this very specific zone is very exceptional. Skydivers around the world call it a dream jump," the 33-year real-estate expert told Xinhua.
He said Egypt is the only country where skydiving can be practised throughout the year for its perfect climate.
"You cannot skydive during winter in Europe, while jumping is suspended in most African countries and the Gulf states during summer. This makes Egypt a hub for skydiving," Abdel-Rahman concluded. Enditem