Sinai Stewardship:

Walking in the Footsteps of Musa

Join us for a transformative journey where sacred remembrance, environmental stewardship, and outdoor adventure converge. Set in the mountains, deserts, and seas of Sinai, this experience invites you to walk in the footsteps of Prophet Musa (‘alayhi as-salām) while actively engaging in responsible, community-rooted care for one of the world’s most fragile and awe-inspiring landscapes.

Sinai Stewardship

Walking in the Footsteps of Musa

Join us for a remarkable journey of heart, mind, and earth, where the path of Prophet Musa ('alaihis-salām) through Sinai becomes a living classroom for spiritual reflection, ecological study, technological assessment, and climate action.

This is not a retreat of lectures or observation. It is experiential learning on sacred ground: hiking rugged mountains and canyons, serving alongside local farms, learning from Bedouin communities, and reflecting on the story of Musa as it unfolded in the very terrain beneath your feet. From mountain paths to desert valleys to the Red Sea coast, participants explore the full ecological and spiritual diversity of Sinai in community.

📍St. Catherine and Nuweiba, Sinai, Egypt

📅 May 31th – June 6th, 2026

A Transformational 7-Day Expedition

Step into the sands of Sinai for a 7-day desert expedition that fuses the sacred story of Prophet Musa ('alaihis-salām) with the science of resilience in arid lands. As you traverse copper-red mountains and windswept wadis, each step echoes the Qur’anic narrative.

P.S.: The hikes through Sinai’s mountains are challenging and deeply rewarding, tracing the rugged paths of Prophet Musa’s journey, and as we near the Red Sea, the expedition softens into a gentler close with optional snorkeling and diving in Dahab or Nuweiba.

Fitness Level: Intermediate

In the Footsteps of Prophet Moses

Sinai Stewardship: Trekking for Climate Action

At the heart of the journey is a simple but powerful commitment: to steward both spiritual inheritance and the earth itself. Guided by Islamic principles of khilāfah (stewardship) and responsibility, we engage in action-oriented sustainable tourism: contributing to preservation, service, and local livelihoods rather than merely passing through. Participants take part in hands-on environmental activities and simple data-informed stewardship practices that deepen awareness of water, land, food, and climate in arid ecosystems.

What makes this program different is its integration:

- Sacred story lived, not studied: reflecting on the journey of Musa through place, movement, and shared practice

- Action over abstraction: real stewardship and service, not theoretical sustainability

- Access with care: these landscapes cannot be safely or legally explored alone; we work with experienced local guides so

you can focus fully on presence and purpose

- Cultural exchange: learning from and giving back to Bedouin communities whose wisdom is inseparable from the land

Your Experience, Seamlessly Handled

Registration is now open! Your all-inclusive price covers accommodation, meals, workshops, and guided experiences across Sinai and the Red Sea. You’ll just need to book your flight to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt — and we’ll guide you with travel tips every step of the way.

Mission with Meaning: This is pilgrimage meets prototype. Adventure meets impact.

Flight Booking

Since participants will be joining us from all over the world, flights are not arranged by us, but we’re here to help you figure out the best route to Sharm El Sheikh international airport, if needed!

Airport Transfer

You’ll be greeted and transferred from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport directly to the ecolodge in St. Catherine with ease and comfort.

Hotel Bookings

Enjoy 4 nights at the serene ecolodges near St. Catherine, Sinai and 3 nights in Nuweiba, Red Sea; sanctuaries designed for hikers, conservationists, and those craving connection with nature.

All Meals Included

You’ll be nourished with wholesome, slow-food meals rooted in Bedouin heritage; fresh, locally sourced dishes each day to sustain your hikes, reflections, and community experiences.

Stewardship Sessions

Experience a fusion of faith, ecology, and innovation. Explore Islamic herbalism and desert healing traditions, join faith reflections on the journey of Prophet Musa (ʿalayhi as-salām), and dive into data and digital storytelling labs that turn Sinai’s sacred landscapes into powerful narratives of stewardship and climate action.

6 Days of Guided Hiking

Journey across Sinai’s sacred landscapes and the Red Sea coast with local guides and citizen scientists, from mountain hikes and oasis treks to reef monitoring and citizen-science activities that connect faith with stewardship of the Earth.

What to expect

- Guided hikes through Sinai’s mountains, wadis, and canyons

- Time for reflection and spiritual grounding rooted in the

story of Prophet Musa

- Cultural exchange and storytelling with Bedouin hosts

- Service-based experiences with local farms and land

stewards

- Slow, communal meals honoring regional food traditions

- Opportunities to engage with simple environmental

monitoring and stewardship practices

- Workshops on Islamic Herbalism, digital Storytelling, and

Leadership

- Restorative time by the Red Sea, including optional

swimming and snorkeling

The expedition is forming.
Be the first to know when enrollment opens. Early access will be limited.

Why is This Program Different

You’ll walk a path where revelation and ecology meet, uncovering lessons of faith, balance, and responsibility for our age
You’ll contribute to real-time field research on desert adaptation under climate extremes.
You’ll pioneer a new type of Islamic retreat–where spiritual heritage, ecological wisdom, and modern technology converge to protect a sacred ecosystem.

No tech or science background needed. Just curiosity and a love for hiking and environmental stewardship.

You’ll be a pioneer a new type of retreat–where spiritual heritage, ecological wisdom, and modern technology converge to protect a sacred ecosystem. You’ll return not only with renewed spiritual insight: seeing Prophet Musa’s story as a timeless guide for resilience, but with digital tools, fellow collaborators, and data to help scale desert climate solutions, all undergirded by the Islamic principle of stewardship and trust in the Divine.

Surah Al-Ankabut (29:20)

قُلْ سِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ بَدَأَ ٱلْخَلْقَ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ يُنشِئُ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Travel throughout the land and see how He originated the creation, then Allah will bring it into being one more time. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything

A Glimpse of the Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrival and Accomodations

Transport to St. Catherine ecolodge, welcome circle, and itinerary overview .

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Days 2-5: Exploration in

St. Catherine, Sinai

Hiking and exploring St. Catherine area

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Day 5-7: Exploration in Nuweiba, Red Sea

Hiking, workshops and snorkeling/diving

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Day 7: Travel to Sharm El Sheikh for departure

Transport to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and Goodbyes

📅 Summer 2026

Join a global fellowship of hikers, ecologists, technologists, and faith leaders in

for an immersive expedition through Sinai’s sacred deserts to the Red Sea coast, where spiritual heritage meets environmental science, storytelling, and collective stewardship.

This is pilgrimage meets practice.

Adventure meets responsibility.

A journey meant to leave no footprint behind, except one of care, connection, and commitment, God willing.

About the Organizers

Sinai Stewardship is led by a team whose combined expertise spans environmental science, ethical technology, outdoor adventure, and Muslim community leadership. The majority of our team is Arabic-speaking, Egyptian-American and certified First Aid responders. Together, they've designed an experience that is as rigorous as it is soulful, where faith, ecology, and human connection converge in one of the world's most sacred landscapes.

Lama Elhatow

(Program focus: Environment, Climate change, Community development, and Sprituality)

Faculty professor at Johns Hopkins University in Environmental Science and Policy, and Energy Policy and Climate, with 15+ years of experience as an environmental specialist at the World Bank, and experience in climate negotiations, local adaptation, and ecological justice. Lama has hiked the Sinai desert over 20 times and is passionate about this land, its people and telling its stories. Lama is also a certified First Aid Responder, as well as a certified Mental Health First Aid Responder.

Why I'm excited to be a Sinai Steward: I’m keen to see how the land and its amazing ecosystem tell us the stories of all the people before us that walked it. I’m passionate about the intersection of the Environment and Islam and hope that we can all be stewards (khalifas) to this land and all lands as we walk them.

Mohamed Hafez

(Program focus: Technology Stewardship, Leadership, and Spirituality)

CEO of ByteWise and Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, Hafez bridges innovation with ethical impact. He’s built groundbreaking underwater VR experiences and continues to pioneer responsible uses of AI to tackle urgent global challenges. Mohamed is passionate about the intersection of AI, technology and climate and how to find technological solutions to solve our climate crisis. Mohamed is also a certified First Aid Responder as well as a certified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor and a lover of all animals, especially octopus 🐙.

Why I'm excited to be a Sinai Steward: This experience allows me to share my gifts as a builder of bridges, between human wisdom and emerging technology. It connects me to a deeper calling: ensuring that the tools we create serve humanity rather than diminish it. As a proud Egyptian-American and devout believer in God, I believe that responsible stewardship of technology is not separate from faith, it is in fact our faith in practice. The Quran charges us as khalifas (stewards) on this earth, trustees of this beautiful earth we occupy for a time. That trust extends beyond land and water to the digital ecosystems we now inhabit and shape. To steward technology with conscience, equity, and care for the environment is to honor that covenant, and to leave something worthy for those who come after us.

Ryan Strom

(Program focus: Outdoor safety, Hiking essentials, and Spirituality)

If there’s a road, a trail, or even a half-paved shortcut through a village, chances are Ryan has already biked it. A lawyer, avid cyclist and world traveler, he’s pedaled, hiked and traveled in over 60 countries over the last decade. Ryan has organized more than 15 outdoor group trips, cycling nearly 4,000 miles across a dozen countries. He is also a founding (and current) board member of Center DC, organized Center DC's first Umrah trip for 30 participants, and is a former board member of Green Muslims. He is also a certified First Aid Responder and a major cat enthusiast. 🐱

Why I'm excited to be a Sinai Steward: I hope to help others experience how the land itself deepens our understanding of the story of Mūsā and our own relationship with God. I stop for any cat that crosses my path!

Nada Zohdy

(Program focus: Community builder, Leadership, and Spirituality)

Nada is a community builder and social entrepreneur who has been organizing Muslims in the DC area to grow in faith and in community over the last 15 years. Despite her suburban upbringing, as an adult she has found peace and purpose being active both solo and in community in the outdoors, participating in international active outdoor adventure trips (especially bike packing and hikes) for the last decade. Nada currently runs a global leadership network with nearly 2,000 members in 160 countries, and has organized leadership retreats on five continents. She is a proud member of the Center DC team and is currently completing a post-graduate Islamic Psychology diploma with Cambridge Muslim College.

Why I'm excited to be a Sinai Steward: This unique experience allows me to share my gifts as a facilitator and community builder in some of the most sacred grounds on earth. It connects me to give back and bring others to my motherland as a proud Egyptian American. I believe environmental stewardship is a key part of practicing our faith as Muslims and can be a universal source of healing for our modern times.