If you’ve read my piece on the best place to get a sim card in Dahab, then you’ll know that WiFi in Dahab, and Egypt as a whole, is overall pretty horrendous.
As Dahab becomes more and more of a hotspot for digital nomads and remote workers, particularly during the winter months, this all becomes less than ideal. The majority of us will need reliable internet, will need to jump on video calls, and of course we’ll want to download the latest true crime documentary to watch during our downtime, so, what are our options?
When I first came to Dahab (January to April 2022), there was only one real coworking place to visit, and that was Mojo Coworking Café. I went there once, but it wasn’t really for me.
The coworking space is a room above the café, and it super-hot in there, as there are windows galore. It was also a bit cramped, and there was also an awkward exchange between two people, regarding a video call being taken too loud. The one person was told she was okay to take a video call, and then spoke as one would during such a call. The other person disagreed with her methods, and it all got a bit awkward, which isn’t ideal anywhere, let alone in such a small space.
So, I went once, and didn’t come back. Back in 2022, the coworking space I am going to highlight in this post didn’t exist, so I would work from home, or from one of the bars or cafes around town, of which there are plenty. For me though, I like to work from a place that you know, is designed for working, so upon returning to Dahab in 2024, I was delighted to see that a designated coworking place had been opened. Step forward, El Coworking Space Dahab.
Contacting El Coworking:
I reached out to the space before I went for the first day on Facebook (via the page I have linked to above), and they were super responsive, and kept up the great communication during subsequent visits. They also have an Instagram page you can find here and here is their website.
The costs:
Alright, let’s start with a big question, how much does it cost? Here’s a photo of their latest prices (photo taken in February 2024), but after speaking to one of the managers, they can also offer custom prices for weekly, and two-weekly stay.
So my recommendation, for what it's worth, no matter how long you’re going to stay in Dahab, is it’s worth reaching out to the team, let them know how long you’re staying for, and going from there. Abo Shams and Mahmoud (the owner and manager) will do their best to accommodate.
From my experience, the prices above are pretty typical when compared to other coworking facilities I have used over the last couple of years of my travel. I am currently writing this from Antalya, where the prices are very comparable.
I did speak to a friend in Dahab, and she thinks these prices might be too high for some Egyptians, but from my non-Egyptian point of view, they felt pretty fair.
The space:
El Coworking is conveniently located relatively near the centre of Dahab, and is right on the Red Sea, offering you just ridiculous views as you work.
Here is the exact location, and coming from the road side, you walk through the Blue Beach Club entrance, and you will see the coworking on the right further down. The photo below is taken from outside the coworking, looking up to the main road entrance.
If you are coming from the sea side, this is what you should be looking out for. It’s right next to Mirage restaurant.
The first photo is the entrance to the coworking from the beach side, the second is the view to the right (if you're facing the coworking), and the third is the view to the left (click the photos to enlarge them). Hopefully this helps you with any navigation issues.
The space itself is really nice, with lots of individual desks, as well as a sofa, and little solo spaces where you can sit yourself and get to work.
It’s bright, airy, and it didn’t get too hot or cold which can be an issue in Dahab (the cold is more of an issue in the winter months), as there is a lot of sunlight, and a lot of wind. I sat on one of the individual desks for the day, and the chair was nice and comfortable, which was a bonus, as finding the right chair can also be a challenge for us coworkers of the world.
There are plug sockets throughout the coworking space, so you’ll be covered, and there is also an outside seating area, which is perfect for taking a little break. With the day pass, you get a free coffee, which was wasted on me, as I don’t like the stuff. But, the coworking manager did offer a tea to everyone left in the coworking in the afternoon, which was a lovely touch. I normally don’t drink tea either, but I weirdly got low key obsessed with the stuff in Egypt, so I certainly appreciated the gesture.
You can just see the Red Sea through the huge glass windows, so as views go, this one is hard to beat. There was a lot of space in the coworking, which I certainly appreciated. Some coworking spots can feel really cramped, or you have to charge your laptop in shifts with you taking an hour, your neighbour taking another etc, so it was good to have your own little spot, with your own plug socket, and a bit more room to do what you needed to do.
There is also a private booth you can use to take video calls etc, and I thought this was another nice touch.
Here are a few more photos of the space at El Coworking, including some of the other seating options you have at your disposal.
The Internet:
As mentioned, Wi-Fi and Dahab really do not get on. It’s probably the worst place I’ve been to for internet, so how would El Coworking Space’s internet stand up? The answer, pretty well!
They have seven different types of internet connection, including 4g and 5g routers as backups, so in theory, you should always be connected. There were two WiFi connections available to connect to when I went to visit, and if there was ever an issue with one, I was able to simply connect to the other, and continue with my work.
I know just how bad the internet gets here, so to have these backups whilst working, was certainly a nice safety net. I didn’t have to switch often in the day, maybe once or twice, and the internet speeds were surprisingly good!
Here’s a closer look at the speed for one of the WiFi channels I was using, and I’m pretty sure it’s the highest I’ve seen in Dahab. Upload speeds were low, but for the majority of tasks, you’ll be fine.
I also had a video call later in the day, and there were no issues with this, with connectivity strong throughout. The managers really have done all they can to ensure that you stay online for however long you spend in the coworking, and for Dahab this is a rarity.
My tip, make sure you get a sim card when in Dahab, with lots of data, so you always have that as a backup option if needed. Here’s my post on the best sim card to get in Dahab - Read here.
Food and Drink:
As mentioned above, for a lot of the packages you get a free coffee, which makes the price of the coworking even more appealing. There is a water dispenser, which in a place like Dahab, where you can’t (or shouldn’t) drink the tap water, is most welcome.
If you were to look at what you’d spend on bottled water working elsewhere, or even at home, this once again makes the cost of the pass look even better.
There is a food menu I forgot to take a picture of, as they have a connected restaurant. I would normally choose to eat out, to take a break from the day, and as mentioned you’re in a good spot, so the restaurants/bakeries are nice and close.
Overall thoughts:
Dahab was in desperate need of a coworking space, and the El Coworking space is a huge addition to the town. It’s a wonderful facility, full of light, and most importantly, has reliable internet. The owner and manager are both also absolutely lovely, and it was really nice getting to know both of them.
I felt welcome from day one, and that is not always the case in coworking spaces. I would have absolutely gone more often, but I got super sick during my last week in Dahab, so didn’t have the chance. If I was spending any decent amount of time in Dahab though, I would purchase a pass. Same applies if I had a really busy day of work, and wanted to focus on that, without worrying about WiFi, or using all of my data.
Full disclosure, I didn’t go back to Mojo Café this year, which I should have done to see if any changes had been made. Again, I will blame getting sick. The prices on their website (not sure when it was last updated) are very reasonable, but for me, it was too small.
If anyone has been to Mojo Cafe recently, and would like to share their thoughts, please feel free to drop me a message or leave a comment. I also read about this space whilst researching this article, but I didn’t get to visit.
Therefore, El Coworking gets my vote as the best coworking space in Dahab, and I have no qualms in fully recommending it. The prices are mostly on par with what I’ve paid elsewhere, but the space makes it worth the cost.
If you do take a visit, feel free to let the guys know that you (hopefully!) went on the back of this review.
Disclaimer: I’d like to point out, that I paid for my pass at El Coworking, and they had no idea I was planning on writing this, until after I had been. These are my honest opinions on El Coworking.