Businesses in New Valley
Tourism
New Valley Governorate is rich in natural components, thanks to the location in a desert area which enjoys attractive geological features. The most outstanding ones are located in Farafra Oasis (see Gallery "Black Desert, Crystal Mountain and White Desert"): the Crystal Mountain and the White Desert, with its famous mushroom shaped rocks.
Climate with bright sun, beauty of nature and quiet atmosphere contribute to the charm of the New Valley Governorate.
More information about the archaeological and natural tourist attractions in the New Valley Governorate can be found in Tourism.
Farming
Palm and dates - olives - orange - wheat - apricot - manga – apples
Kharga oasis has traditionally supported a variety of date palms as well as dom palms, grapes, wheat, in addition to tamarisk, acacia, halfa grass, tamarisk, camel thorn, wild senna, and some reeds. Dates remain the main agricultural export and oasis dates have long been thought superior to dates from anywhere else in Egypt, as noted by Vansleb in 1672 (quoted in Edmonstone 1822: 35). Nowadays, due to the reuse of old wells and the drilling of news ones crops also include watermelons, citrus, apricots, peaches, rice, barley, millet, and lucerne for fodder (Giddy 1987: 5; Beadnell 1909: 212-20).
Animal Production
Breeding cows and sheepIndustry
Handicraft: porcelain, pottery, arabesque, kilims and carpets are produced by local artisans throughout the governorate. Hand-woven baskets and pots are of similar design and are often called by the same name from one oasis to the other. Their shapes vary according to their task. Among the baskets there are plain, deep baskets (alaga); little wedding baskets part of the trousseau of the bride (margon); large flat trays with slightly elevated sides (tabak) and so on. Among the pots there are large-mouthed, deep-sided bowls used for kneading dough when making bread (asriyyat or magour); long, thin pots with a wide lip and handles used for storing water (mahshal); wide-lipped pots used to store fats (mahlab) and so on (Vivian 1990).
In Kharga oasis the qafas, a sturdy open square and rectangular box with a lid, is created from the strong ribs of palm fronds. The qafas are so well designed that they stay together by themselves without the use of nails or pegs. They are used mostly for hauling produce and poultry to market, but can be used for carrying anything (Vivian 1990). Visitors can admire and buy handicraft from local traders at the simple souk in the southern part of Qasr Kharga town or at the Handicraft Center (address: Gamal Abdel Nasser Street next to Sadat secondary school, Kharga Oasis, New Valley Governorate).
Dakhla oasis is the largest producer of pottery in New Valley Governorate. The garra is one of the most singular pots in all of Egypt and is found only in Dakhla oasis. It is used to gather water; thanks to its unusual shape, women can easily carry it when they balance it on their heads or tuck it under their arms (Vivian 1990). In Dakhla oasis ladies and older men produce wool yarn, which is used in Acharz industry, a winter clothing, as the robe made of handmade wool, a folk costume for men. Moreover, Alepeshnda village is one of the most productive areas for carpets and kilims, where the craft has evolved in the village over the five decades (yadaweya.com 2019).
In Farafra oasis visitors will have the chance to see local arts and crafts and buy items like sweaters, socks and scarves knitted out of camel and sheep wool (egypt.travel 2017).
See the Gallery "The handicrafts and artisans of New Valley".
Food Industries: dates filling - sugar filling - tomatoes - natural water bottles and packaging - dairy products - refining and packing olive oil.
Mining industries: the governorate enjoys by far the hugest phosphate reserves in Abo-Tartour region. Thus, an integrated industrial complex is to be established in the area for phosphoric acid production (Abu Tartour Phosphate Project).
