Al-Karm is a small hotel installation based on the criteria of sustainable eco-tourism, caring about the natural environment and the well-being of their inhabitants. It is a Bedouin owned and run Ecolodge that was built with EU funding under the supervision of St. Catherine’s Protectorate. The ecolodge is situated in the beautiful surroundings of Wadi Gharaba near Sheikh Awaad and Nagb Hawa, the traditional route to the Monastery of St. Katherine.
 
Al Karm operates on the principles of simplicity and minimal environmental impact – there is no electricity - but it has solar heated showers, sanitary compost toilets, a modest kitchen and dining facilities.

Here guests will experience the time-honoured hospitality and culture of the Gebaliya Bedouin. From Al Karm you can examine a Bronze Age settlement, wonder at a mysterious Nabatean village or be guided through the surrounding mountains learning some of the desert's secrets and looking for signs of wildlife such as hyrax, ibex, wolves and hyenas.

Furthermore, it assures employment to the local Bedouin community of Sheikh Awaad. The benefits are shared equally among members of the project. This cooperative way of doing things, results in a stronger incentive to preserve their resources and support tourism projects which promote the protection of the environment. The Ecolodge therefore favours an ‘eco-friendly’ tourism, responsible and respectful of the surrounding nature, culture and local traditions.