Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA), the key enabler and regulator of coastal tourism activities in Saudi’s Red Sea, has begun on ground inspections as a prerequisite for issuing the required licenses to enable coastal tourism activities.

The on ground inspections were initiated with 14 visits in Jeddah, Jazan and Al Laith, as a requirement to license marina operators and maritime tourism agents, in line with the new regulations which came into effect on November 5th, 2023.

These regulations are the product of a close collaboration between SRSA and partners from both the public and private sectors. They play a vital role in fulfilling SRSA’s mission to facilitate a flourishing coastal tourism industry, while ensuring environmental sustainability.

Licensing tourist marina operators will facilitate the management of marina operations, elevate customer service quality, and maintain a safe environment for yachts and visitors visiting the Red Sea. Meanwhile, licensing maritime tourism agents will enable maritime tourism agency services in accordance with the highest standards to serve yachts and cruises.

The new coastal tourism licenses represent a historic milestone and a pioneering step in the development of coastal tourism in Saudi Arabia. SRSA remains committed to collaborating with its public and private sector partners to enable navigational and marine tourism activities along the Red Sea coast, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals.

SRSA was established by a Council of Ministers decision in November 2021 with the aim of regulating navigational and marine tourism activities. SRSA implements the necessary policies, strategies, and plans; determines navigational sites and maps; issues licenses and permits required for coastal tourism; identifies infrastructure requirements; establishes rules, standards and protocols for related services; ensures environmental protection through collaboration with the relevant entities; encourages investment; markets activities to attract practitioners; builds specialized human capabilities through efficient training and planning, contributes to increasing the GDP and raising the number of tourists in Saudi Arabia to develop a thriving the coastal tourism sector.