Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt
CDWS is a government-affiliated regulatory chamber founded in 2007 by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism to license, certify, and oversee the diving and water sports industry across the Red Sea and South Sinai, serving ~655 member operators and individual professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersHurghada, Egypt
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt does
CDWS is a government-affiliated regulatory chamber founded in 2007 by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to license, certify, and oversee the diving and water sports industry along the Red Sea and South Sinai coasts. It is the sole authorized body for issuing operating licenses, professional certifications, and quality assurance for diving centers, safari boats, water sports operators, and related facilities. The chamber manages a membership base of 309 diving centers, 155 safari boats, 191 water sports centers, 2 filling stations, 8 maintenance/test stations, and 12 underwater photography companies across 12 destinations including Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Dahab, Marsa Alam, and Hamata. Its mandate includes enforcing EN 14467 / ISO 24803 and ISO 13289 standards, implementing the Green Fins environmental program, and publishing a public blacklist of non-compliant operators shut down by the Ministry.
Its service portfolio combines regulatory functions with digital infrastructure: a membership portal at members.cdws.travel for account management and card requests, a Trip Notification Application at trips.cdws.travel for electronic reporting of safari boat, yacht, submarine, and beach activity trips, an industry job board, an annual Blue Magazine publication, and a structured training curriculum covering environmental awareness, shark behavior, and technical management. The chamber runs audits, spot checks, and investigations on member facilities and processes tourism police permits for South Sinai groups. Technology partners include Innovix Solutions for web platform development, while strategic partners include the European Underwater Federation, HEPCA, Eco Egypt Experiences, and the Green Fins network.
Revenue is generated through annual membership subscriptions from operator facilities, professional CDWS cards priced at 125 EGP/year per individual, paid training courses ranging from 300 EGP (one-day environmental awareness) to 10,000 EGP (four-day technical manager course), tourism police permit processing fees, and advertising revenue from Blue Magazine. The go-to-market is fundamentally B2B and mandatory: diving centers, safari boats, and water sports operators cannot legally operate in Egypt without active CDWS membership and accredited professional cards for their staff.
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt
- Legal name
- Chamber of Diving and Watersports
- Website
- https://cdws.travel
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CDWS is a government-affiliated regulatory chamber founded in 2007 by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism to license, certify, and oversee the diving and water sports industry across the Red Sea and South Sinai, serving ~655 member operators and individual professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Diving and Watersports Industry Regulation
- NAICS
- Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Leisure Passenger Shipping Charters (Ferry/Excursion Vessels) (THAEAGAH), Diving & Snorkeling Retail (Scuba Gear) (CRAMAIAF)
Keywords
Where Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hurghada
- HQ country
- Egypt
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for diving centers, safari boats, water sports centers, filling stations, test stations, and underwater photography companies. Members must maintain active membership to operate legally.
- CDWS Professional Cards: Issuance and annual renewal of CDWS cards for professionals (dive guides, instructors, skippers, boat crew). Annual card fee is 125 EGP per card.
- Training Courses: Revenue from training courses including Technical Manager courses, Environmental Awareness courses, and Shark Awareness courses. Fees range from 300-10,000 EGP depending on course duration and type.
- Tourism Police Permits: Processing fees for tourism police permits to accompany and secure touristic groups in South Sinai.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | CDWS Professional Card (Annual) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Technical Manager for Recreational Diving |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Technical Manager for Snorkeling Service Providers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Environmental Awareness for Safari Boat Crew |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Environmental Awareness for Diving and Water Sports Centers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shark Awareness Arabic |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shark Awareness English |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CDWS is Egypt's official regulatory and trade body for the diving and water sports industry, founded by the Ministry of Tourism in 2007. It accredits and certifies diving centers, safari boats, and water sports centers, issues CDWS professional cards to dive guides and instructors, runs mandatory training and environmental awareness programs, processes tourism police permits, and operates the Trip Notification Application for regulatory trip reporting across Egypt's Red Sea and South Sinai coastal destinations.
Product overview
The Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt (CDWS) is a regulatory and membership organization founded by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism in 2007, not a traditional product company. Its offerings consist of membership directories for diving centers (309 members), safari boats (155 members), water sports centers (191 members), filling stations (2 members), maintenance stations (8 members), and underwater photography companies (12 members). Key services include membership certification and card issuance, quality assurance audits, environmental programs (Green Fins Egypt, environmental awareness training), the Trip Notification Application (Beach - Boat) for electronic trip reporting, training courses for environmental awareness, shark behavior, and technical manager certification, a job board for industry professionals, tourism police permits, and event requirements management. The organization also publishes Blue Magazine and maintains a blacklist of non-compliant diving companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CDWS Membership Services Annual membership accreditation and associated online services including card issuance, exam administration for first-time applicants, equivalent certificates for foreigners, practical exams for snorkeling, temporary cards for foreign professionals, account activation, and online payments. Available to diving centers, safari boats, water sports centers, and individual professionals who must hold CDWS membership to operate legally in Egypt.
- Quality Assurance Services Quality assurance services for member facilities including audit requests, investigations, spot checks, and technical support to verify ongoing compliance with CDWS standards. Targeted at accredited diving centers, safari boats, and water sports operators in the Red Sea and South Sinai.
- Green Fins Egypt Environmental stewardship program providing member diving centers, safari boats, and water sports operators with Green Fins-adapted guidelines, code of conduct materials, environmental violation reporting tools, and QR-coded posters for tourist reporting. Designed for Egypt-based marine tourism operators seeking compliance with Red Sea coral reef protection standards.
- Trip Notification Application (Beach - Boat) Digital regulatory platform used by accredited member facilities to submit electronic trip notifications covering safari boats, daily yachts, diving, snorkeling, submarine, glass-bottom boats, and beach-based water activities. Includes crew management and professional selection. Used by member operators in the Red Sea and South Sinai to comply with trip reporting obligations.
- Tourism Police Permits CDWS-mediated service that issues tourism police permits required to accompany and secure touristic groups in South Sinai for diving activities. Required of accredited diving operators conducting group excursions in the South Sinai governorate.
- Environmental Awareness Training Course for Diving and Water Sports Mandatory 1-day (4-hour) environmental awareness training priced at 1,200 EGP per facility. Required for all employees of diving centers, daily yachts, and water sports centers operating in the South Sinai and Red Sea governorates.
- Environmental Awareness Training Course for Safari Boat Crew Mandatory 1-day (4-hour) environmental awareness training priced at 300 EGP per person. Required for all safari boat crew members including captain, sailors, mechanics, cooks, and salon service staff.
- Shark Behavior Environmental Awareness Course (Arabic) 1-day (4-hour) shark behavior environmental awareness training delivered in Arabic, priced at 700 EGP per participant. Covers diving with sharks, safety practices, and emergency response procedures for industry professionals.
- Shark Behavior Environmental Awareness Course (English) 1-day (4-hour) shark behavior environmental awareness training delivered in English, priced at 700 EGP per participant. Covers diving with sharks, safety practices, and emergency response procedures for industry professionals.
- Technical Manager Training for Recreational Diving Four-day training and certification course priced at 10,000 EGP for technical managers of diving centers and safari boats operating in the Red Sea and South Sinai governorates. Includes exam and certification.
- Technical Manager Training for Snorkeling Service Providers Four-day training course priced at 5,000 EGP for technical managers of water sports centers offering snorkeling services in the Red Sea and South Sinai governorates. Targeted at snorkel guides and instructors.
- CDWS Job Board Online job board listing diving and water sports industry positions in Egypt, including dive guide, snorkel guide, front office, skipper, and captain roles. Accessible to members and individual job seekers.
- CDWS Professional Cards Annual professional certification cards priced at 125 EGP per card, issued to dive guides, instructors, skippers, boat crew, and other diving and water sports professionals to verify qualifications and authorize legal employment in Egypt.
- Black List of Illegal Diving Operators Public database maintained by CDWS listing diving companies and websites that are not operating legally or have been shut down by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Used by tourists and operators to verify legitimacy.
- Diving and Water Sports Events Requirements Regulatory guidelines and requirements service for organizers of diving and water sports events and activities in Egypt. Targeted at event organizers and member facilities planning regulated marine activities.
Companies that use Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Eco Egypt ExperiencescoreCollaboration with Eco Egypt Experiences' marine conservation campaign. CDWS made available environmental violation reporting posters with QR codes through the Green Fins Egypt initiative.
- Green FinscoreCDWS has adapted Green Fins environmental standards to protect Egypt's coral reefs. The chamber distributes Green Fins materials including code of conduct guidelines, environmental briefing guidelines, and environmental violation reporting systems to member facilities.
- European Underwater FederationcoreCDWS operates in accordance with European Underwater Federation standards for recreational diving providers (EN 14467 / ISO 24803) and conduct of snorkeling excursions (ISO 13289).
- Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA)coreVenue provider for shark awareness and environmental training courses in Hurghada. Located at the New Marina area, Hurghada, Red Sea.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt social profiles
Digital presenceChamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt
What does Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt do?
CDWS is Egypt's official regulatory and trade body for the diving and water sports industry, founded by the Ministry of Tourism in 2007. It accredits and certifies diving centers, safari boats, and water sports centers, issues CDWS professional cards to dive guides and instructors, runs mandatory training and environmental awareness programs, processes tourism police permits, and operates the Trip Notification Application for regulatory trip reporting across Egypt's Red Sea and South Sinai coastal destinations.
Is Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt a public or private company?
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt founded?
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt based?
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt is headquartered in Hurghada, Egypt, in the Africa region.
How does Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are CDWS Professional Cards, training Courses and tourism Police Permits.
Does Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt.
What industry is Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt in?
Chamber of Diving and Watersports - Egypt's product category is Diving and Watersports Industry Regulation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAALAB, Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing), with a secondary code of THAEAGAH, Leisure Passenger Shipping Charters (Ferry/Excursion Vessels). Its NAICS code is 483114 and its SIC code is 4400.