Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, to explore ways to cooperate in areas related to sustainable marine protection and recreational marine tourism activities.
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is a non-profit environmental science organisation and ocean research foundation established to help preserve, protect and restore the world’s oceans and aquatic resources through research, education, and outreach.
In a press statement, SRSA says that the MoU aims to achieve integration with relevant entities from public, private, and third-sector organisations, ultimately realising the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by enabling coastal tourism to become a valuable sector of the national economy.
The statement adds that the MoU is part of SRSA’s efforts to expand its strategic partnerships and falls under its mandate to establish a mechanism that ensures the protection of the marine environment, while utilising best international practices to develop navigational and marine and tourism activities.
SRSA says that the agreement entails several areas of cooperation, including human capital development, ocean conservation, marine reserves, plastic pollution, protection of coral reefs, blue economy, knowledge sharing, research initiatives and awareness campaigns.
The statement adds that SRSA and the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation look forward to using their new partnership to support environmental conservation and sustainable use of the marine environment in Saudi Arabia.