The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to explore aspects of cooperation in biodiversity sustainability, support for marine environment protection initiatives, and assess the impact of coastal tourism activities on the Red Sea. The MoU also aims to leverage their combined capabilities and expertise to achieve mutual benefits.

The MoU was signed by Mr. Mohammed Al-Nasser, CEO of SRSA, and Dr. Tony Chan, President of KAUST.

The signing of the MoU aligns with SRSA’s mandates, which include ensuring environmental protection in areas where coastal tourism activities take place, along with focusing on human capital development through training and qualification programs for national talents in specialized fields related to the coastal tourism sector.

The MoU aims to explore collaboration in various areas, including identifying and ensuring the sustainability of existing biodiversity along the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia, exchanging information and expertise, and providing studies, reports, and consultations. Additionally, it aims to support marine environment protection initiatives.

The MoU also outlines cooperation to assess the impact of tourism activities on the marine environment, as well as to evaluate environmental and economic factors, update information on new international standards, regulations, or technologies, and explore ways to strengthen marine environmental protection in the face of expanding industries.

Furthermore, the MoU seeks to align strategies in terms of planning and implementing ongoing and new initiatives that support coastal tourism in the Red Sea. It also covers collaboration in hosting joint events in related fields.

This MoU is part of SRSA’s efforts to expand its strategic partnerships, exchange expertise, and adopt best practices to enhance coastal tourism activities on the Red Sea, contributing to Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.