Eilat's Skyline to Become Taller

Israel’s National Council for Planning and Construction on Tuesday approved a measure raising the maximum height of hotels on the northern coast of Eilat.

Hotels near the Red Sea water line can now be constructed up to 20 stories instead of eight, or to a height of 60 meters (200 feet).

“We are bringing huge news to Eilat. Hundreds and even thousands of rooms will be added to the city,” said Tourism Minister Haim Katz.

“The move will encourage competition, remove excess bureaucracy for a hotel that wants to renew itself, and allow entrepreneurs who have not yet built to increase their supply [of rooms]. I will work to continue removing barriers to increasing the pace of hotel construction in Israel,” he added.

Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a 100 billion shekel ($27 billion) plan to link the North and South of the country by high-speed rail. Such a rail line would also allow the transport of goods from Israel to Saudi Arabia.

The proposed high-speed rail line would run about 400 kilometers (250 miles), from the northern city of Kiryat Shmona to the southern city of Eilat.

“My vision is for every Israeli citizen to be able to travel to or from the center from anywhere in the country in less than two hours,” said Netanyahu. “In most cases under an hour, and even less than that.”