The International Council of Marine Industry Associations, ICOMIA is delighted to announce the formation of a strategic partnership with the Saudi Red Sea Authority.

Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) is a government entity that is primarily involved in the regulation of coastal tourism, and the enabling of navigational and marine tourism activities on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. SRSA plans to develop the Red Sea economy by stimulating the creation of a prosperous local tourism economy along Saudi’s Red Sea coastline, whilst at the same time preserving and protecting the sea’s pristine environment.

SRSA began its journey towards building and regulating the coastal tourism sector of Saudi Arabia in 2021, with the objective of enhancing integration between the relevant entities by issuing licenses and permits, developing the necessary policies and strategies, determining infrastructure requirements, preserving the marine environment, enabling investment, and promoting navigational and marine tourism activities, which will reflect as an added value to the national economy.

To assist with this journey and to help ensure growth and development has maximum potential for the region, SRSA identified three key ways ICOMIA can support these ambitions to benefit all parties involved:

• Connections with the global recreational boating industry, as the single global voice of the recreational boating industry ICOMIA has the connections that can facilitate the collaboration between the SRSA and the world’s leaders within our industry whilst also providing access to conferences and events organised by ICOMIA and its members.
• Technical insight and access to experts, ensuring inclusion in discussions and decision making related to the development of global regulations and harmonised standards accepted and recognised around the world. Also, ICOMIA’s wide range of committees and working groups cover an extensive variety of topics ranging from sustainability to marinas, market intelligence to marine engines.
• Access to specialist training and development connecting the world’s leading providers and helping to facilitate the creation of an engaged, mobile and highly qualified workforce. With such ambitious growth plans, training, attracting and developing a skilled workforce will be crucial to the realisation of these goals. ICOMIA’s membership already includes the world’s most respected and sought-after training and qualification bodies which will facilitate the delivery of training within Saudi Arabia and make it easier to attract a skilled workforce from around the world.

Joe Lynch, ICOMIA CEO said: “We are delighted to welcome the Saudi Red Sea Authority to ICOMIA. It will be a pleasure to partner with them as they work towards building a vibrant and word leading boating infrastructure along the Red Sea coastline. We are especially looking forward to cooperating with them in enhancing training programs and skill development to assist with the growth of the recreational boating industry in Saudi Arabia.”  

H.E. Mohammed Al-Nasser, CEO of the Saudi Red Sea Authority said: “It gives us great pleasure to join ICOMIA at this time to contribute to the growth and development of the recreational boating industry in Saudi Arabia. Our objective is to enable a thriving tourism economy throughout Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline, with sustainability at its heart.”

Noting that this partnership comes within the framework of the SRSA’s plans and endeavours to expand its strategic partnerships with international organisations and relevant authorities, exchanging experiences, and reviewing best practices to organise, advance and sustain navigational and marine tourism activities in the Red Sea, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.