Why Eilat ?

By Claude Lavenski
There are many reasons why South Africans should consider Eilat as a possible place to live. Here are just 11 of those reasons...

1. The weather – Eilat is a city without winter – 2 months (July August) of very hot weather (but very low humidity) and 6 weeks of almost cold weather (January 15th – February 28) – rest of the time Great weather. Almost no rain. You can always plan a braai or other outdoor event without fear of rain. In fact it is a very popular winter holiday city for Europeans because of the mild weather during winter.

2.  No water shortage – Eilat's water supply comes from Desalination so we have the purest drinking water in the country.

3. Nowhere is far. A maximum of 2.5 km from the sea no matter where you live and 3.5km maximum from one end of Eilat to the other. In fact the distance between the Jordan Border and the Egyptian border through Eilat is only 12km

4. Possible to do without a car. Great and inexpensive bus service till 8:30pm (Fridays till 2:30pm and no service on Saturdays) and Good Taxi Service. Of course it is an easy walk downhill to the sea.

5. Great and unlimited restaurants. Typical for a Holiday City. With discounts all over for Eilat residents. All the activities and facilities of local beaches Hotels (including hotel swimming pools), pubs and great restaurants are close at hand and Eilat residents generally receive discounts and special prices.

6. Prices of Homes and Apartments less than 50% of similar homes in other cities like Natania, Raanana, Kfar Saba etc.

7.  Jobs are available but as many business places rely on holiday makers, their business fluctuates with season. In season business is good and out of season slow. In Eilat there are many different times of the year when there are lots of visitors – either Israelis or tourists. Salaries generally are lower than the rest of the country, but there are still many business opportunities in many fields (not associated with Hotels or tourism). As an example there are many opportunities for Doctors and Nurses and other medical fields.

8.  The industries here are a blend of talent and diversification. The Agricultural Sector is been successfully prospering over a decade. The agricultural crops include Cotton, Beef, Poultry, Vegetables and Dairy Products and also fruits like Citrus and few others. The Industrial Sector of Eilat is flourishing.
The Industries of Eilat, Israel include sectors like Agro technology, Telecommunications, Medical Electronics, Fine Chemicals, Diamond Cutting and Polishing, Computer Hardware and Software. It is also a home for some Hi Technology Firms. Construction is also the focal industry of Eilat, Israel which is visible through the picturesque architecture of the residential areasBesides the Tourist Industries, there are Job Opportunities in the various sectors of Construction, Food Processing Units, IT industries, Agricultural Industries being offered by the various Employment Agencies in Eilat.

9. There is practically no traffic congestion

10. Eilat has a very low frequency of  terror activities. Also has a lower than average crime rate (which increases during the season when there are many visitors). Eilat has a higher than the national average of Police force including Border Police – General Police – Traffic Police and Military Police who all work together for the benefit of the City.

11. Cost of living in Eilat is far lower than the rest of the country.

What are the problems with living in Eilat.

1.  The best job opportunities for a good job with advancement generally cannot be found in Eilat unless you are very lucky and your qualifications are exactly what is needed at the time.

2.  Other than Egypt and Jordan the nearest large town is Be'er Sheva (3 and half hours by bus) – Tel Aviv 5 hours.

3.  Residents from English speaking countries are in the minority in Eilat. Residents mainly consist of immigrants from Morocco (at least 75 – 80%). The rest are made up of Arabs (both Christian and Moslem), immigrants from Russia, and other previous Russian Countries, UK, USA, Australia, France and the rest of the world. Of course there are many visitors 3 to 4 million a year from Israel and the world.