Kite school · Hurghada, Egypt
Harry Nass Hurghada: The Kite Centre at the Mercure Has Closed
The Harry Nass windsurf, kite and wing foil centre on the Mercure Hurghada beach closed on 26 September 2026; no new Hurghada site has been announced.
- Closed on 26 September 2026
- Was at the Mercure Hurghada
- Still open in Dahab
- No new Hurghada site announced
In short
Harry Nass Hurghada, the windsurf, kitesurf and wing foil centre on the beach of the Mercure Hurghada Hotel, closed for good on 26 September 2026. In a May 2026 interview with surf magazine, Harry Nass said the hotel, preparing its change to a Mövenpick, had offered the centre a much smaller site away from the water, so it closed at the end of its contract. Harry Nass said a new location would not open before spring 2027, and none had been announced by 29 October 2026.
Harry Nass still runs its windsurf and kite centres in Dahab, on the Sinai coast. In Hurghada, the nearest kite school to the Mercure is now Kite Royal Academy at the Pickalbatros Palace Resort, about 1.3 km south, and Happy Surf works from the harbour of the Continental Hotel. All the options are in our Hurghada kitesurf guide.
At a glance
School Fit
- Status
- Open until 25 September 2026; closed for good from 26 September 2026
- Spot
- Was on the beach of the Mercure Hurghada Hotel, Safaga Road km 12
- Why it closed
- The hotel offered a smaller site away from the water ahead of its Mövenpick rebrand (Harry Nass, May 2026)
- What next
- No new Hurghada site announced; Harry Nass said not before spring 2027
- Still open
- Harry Nass Dahab: windsurf, kite and wing foil
- Certifications
- VDWS-certified instructors (Harry Nass); the Dahab centre is listed by the VDWS
- Guest rating
- 4.6/5 on Google (234 reviews) and 4.4/5 on TripAdvisor (119 reviews) before closing
Verified with Harry Nass's official website, Google listing and YouTube channel, surf magazine's interview with Harry Nass, the VDWS centre directory, Sportif, TripAdvisor, and the official sites of Kite Royal Academy, Happy Surf and High Surf & Kite · Updated October 2026
See the place
Video and Instagram
Windsurfing and Kitesurfing Centers Harry Nass historical footage Hurghada 2015
Harry Nass's own look back at its Hurghada windsurf, kite and wing foil centre; the video's description notes that the centre closed permanently on 26 September 2026.
Video: Harry Nass Centers Egypt on YouTube
Wind forecast
7-day wind forecast at Hurghada south
Updated 2 Nov, 13:47
GO16–24 ktsOK12–15 ktsSTRONG25 kts and moreLIGHTunder 12 kts
Strongest wind and gusts of the day, in knots. Kite sizes are a rough guide for a rider of about 75 kg. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
News
What happened to Harry Nass Hurghada
Harry Nass ran its Hurghada centre on the Mercure beach from the mid-2010s, when Sportif announced the newly built station, until September 2026, offering windsurfing, kitesurfing and wing foiling. In May 2026, Harry Nass told surf magazine that the hotel wanted to reorganise the beach as part of its change to a Mövenpick, had offered the centre a place far from the water with unclear access, and wanted it much smaller. After a year of talks, Harry Nass decided to close at the end of the contract. The station stayed open until 25 September 2026 and was cleared out the next day.
The centre's Google listing and Harry Nass's YouTube channel now say that it closed permanently on 26 September 2026 and that Harry Nass no longer operates at the Mercure Hurghada or at the Mövenpick Hurghada. In the interview, Harry Nass said the team was looking at an alternative and that a new centre would not open before spring 2027; no new location had been announced by 29 October 2026.
Options
Where to kitesurf instead
If you planned to kite at the Mercure, these are the closest options:
- Kite Royal Academy, which teaches at the Pickalbatros Palace Resort, about 1.3 km south of the Mercure (map listings), with IKO-certified instructors and Cabrinha gear, according to the school
- Happy Surf, in the harbour of the Continental Hotel Hurghada, about 3 km north: windsurf, kite and SUP lessons and rental
- High Surf & Kite, on the beach of the Hurghada Long Beach Resort, further south, open every day from 9:00 to 18:00
- Harry Nass's own centres in Dahab, with a tide-dependent kite lagoon of about 300 by 500 m
For the record
The spot at the Mercure, for the record
Harry Nass described the water in front of its station as a large freeride area, with the wind usually cross-shore from the left and sometimes cross-offshore in the morning. Standing-depth sandbanks lie about 700 m upwind; lessons took place in a shallow, sandy teaching area there, about 10 minutes away by boat. The bottom is mostly fine sand with small, visible patches of coral, and the centre recommended neoprene shoes.
The station had 70 Cabrinha kites and 30 boards, 40 storage boxes and a free walkie-talkie rescue service, and it was dismantled after closing. The water and the sandbanks remain, but without a station there is no launch help, rescue or storage on the Mercure beach.
Still open
Harry Nass in Dahab
Harry Nass says it has stood for quality and service since 1999 and was named the best windsurfing and kite centre by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism in 2011. In Dahab it keeps a windsurf and kite station with about 40 Cabrinha kites and 20 boards, a tide-dependent kite lagoon of about 300 by 500 m, VDWS-certified instructors and walkie-talkie rescue. Courses, prices and dates are on the Harry Nass website.
Stay
The hotel where the centre was
The Mercure Hurghada Hotel is still open and being renovated for its rebrand to Mövenpick, but it no longer has a kite centre on its beach. For a room close to a kite school, look at the Continental Hotel Hurghada, about 300 m from Happy Surf, or the other hotels in our Hurghada kitesurf guide.
Contact
Contact
The Hurghada centre is closed. To reach Harry Nass, contact the Dahab centre: phone +20 69 364 0559, email info@harry-nass.com, or the official website.
Our take
Our verdict
Great for
- Past guests checking what happened to the Hurghada centre
- Windsurfers and kiters who want to follow Harry Nass to Dahab
Think twice if you are
- Anyone planning lessons, rental or storage at the Mercure Hurghada: the centre closed on 26 September 2026
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Harry Nass Hurghada
Is Harry Nass Hurghada still open?
No. The Harry Nass windsurf, kite and wing foil centre at the Mercure Hurghada stayed open until 25 September 2026 and closed for good on 26 September 2026, according to Harry Nass's website, Google listing and YouTube channel.
Why did Harry Nass close in Hurghada?
Harry Nass told surf magazine in May 2026 that the hotel wanted to reorganise its beach as part of its change to a Mövenpick and offered the centre a much smaller site away from the water. After a year of talks, the company closed at the end of its contract.
Will Harry Nass open a new centre in Hurghada?
Possibly, but not soon. In May 2026 Harry Nass said the team was looking for an alternative and that a new centre would not open before spring 2027. No new location had been announced by 29 October 2026.
Is Harry Nass still in Dahab?
Yes. Harry Nass says it is still operating in Dahab, where it runs windsurf and kite centres with VDWS-certified instructors, Cabrinha kites and a tide-dependent kite lagoon of about 300 by 500 m.
Is there still a kite centre at the Mercure Hurghada?
No kite operator could be found on the Mercure beach in October 2026. The closest kite school is now Kite Royal Academy, which teaches at the Pickalbatros Palace Resort, about 1.3 km to the south.
Where can I kitesurf in Hurghada instead of Harry Nass?
Close to the Mercure, Kite Royal Academy teaches at the Pickalbatros Palace Resort, about 1.3 km south. Happy Surf works from the harbour of the Continental Hotel, about 3 km north, and High Surf & Kite from the Long Beach Resort further south.
What was the Harry Nass spot in Hurghada like?
A large freeride area in front of the Mercure, with the wind usually cross-shore from the left, and standing-depth sandbanks about 700 m upwind where lessons were held, reached by boat. The bottom is mostly sand with small patches of coral.
Sources
Last checked October 2026
- Harry Nass: news, the Hurghada station closes (official)
- Harry Nass: kitesurfing in Hurghada (official, page still online)
- Harry Nass: windsurf and kite areas in Hurghada (official)
- Harry Nass: kitesurfing in Dahab (official)
- surf magazine: Harry Nass Centre closes on 25.9.2026 (interview, 11 May 2026)
- Google Maps: Harry Nass Hurghada (listed as permanently closed)
- VDWS: Harry Nass Dahab - Hurghada
- TripAdvisor: Harry Nass Windsurf & Kite Centres, Hurghada
- Sportif: new Harry Nass centre in Hurghada
- Kite Royal Academy at Pickalbatros Palace Resort (official)
- Google Maps: Kite Hurghada at Pickalbatros Palace Resort
- High Surf & Kite School (official)
- Happy Surf Hurghada: where to find us (official)
We only publish facts we could confirm with the official website or two independent sources. Spotted something out of date? Write to info@kitesurf.holiday.