Saudi Arabia has announced a sustainability strategy for the Red Sea region as it looks protect marine and coast environments in line with national goals.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, launched the National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy.
The environmental strategy aims to protect the Red Sea, empower communities and pave the way for the transition to a blue economy, to achieve economic diversification and is in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
It also reflects the recently announced national priorities for RDI, specifically Sustainable Environment and Supply of Essential Needs.
The Crown Prince said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to unleash its enormous economic, geographical and cultural potential, and its pioneering efforts in sustainability and environmental conservation.
“Through this strategy, the Kingdom positions the blue economy as a fundamental pillar of its diversified economy and aspires for the Red Sea region to become a global reference for leading blue economy activities, and for the Kingdom to become a global leader in the field of research, development and innovation in blue economy.
“The Kingdom also reaffirms its commitment to a sustainable future for the Red Sea, and we look forward to everyone’s cooperation in protecting our Red Sea Coast, and the nature and communities that depend on it.”
The Red Sea is one of Saudi Arabia’s unique and biodiverse regions – an area of 186,000sq km, with 1,800 km of coastline, the Red Sea itself is home to the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef system, 6.2 per cent of the globe’s coral reefs and hundreds of islands.
The strategy sets out a comprehensive national framework that explains how to preserve and regenerate the natural treasures in the Red Sea, ensuring that citizens, residents and visitors enjoy them and sustain them for generations to come.
The strategy demonstrates the contribution of protecting the natural environment in unlocking the economic potential of the region and initiating the transition to the blue economy, creating investment opportunities for innovative companies in various marine sectors, including ecotourism, fisheries, renewable energy, water desalination, shipping and industry.
To support the national economy, the strategy aims, by 2030, to:
- Increase the coverage of marine and coastal protected areas from 3 per cent to 30 per cent
- Support the contribution of renewable energy to 50 per cent of the targeted energy mix
- Create thousands of new job opportunities related to blue economy activities
- Protect the Kingdom’s investments. The strategy protects KSA’s investments in coastal tourism projects which will potentially contribute to the GDP yearly
The strategy is structured around five strategic objectives:
- Environmental Sustainability
- Economic Development
- Social Development
- Safety and Security
- Governance and Collaboration
It includes 48 initiatives that were developed to achieve the Kingdom’s ambitions for the blue economy.
The announcement of the strategy clarifies the central role played by the Kingdom in protecting natural resources in light of the environmental and climate challenges that the world is experiencing today and charts a new path that combines economic growth and environmental sustainability.
