National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy

The National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy is a national strategy launched by Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, on December 4, 2024. It aims to safeguard the ecosystem of the Red Sea, foster collaboration for its sustainability, empower communities, and promote the transition towards a sustainable blue economy. This contributes to economic diversification in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and national priorities in research, development, and innovation, particularly in environmental sustainability and fundamental needs.

The National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy contributes to preserving environmental life and enhancing terrestrial and marine sustainability, with its impact on the national economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The strategy is a continuation of Saudi Arabia's efforts to unlock its economic, cultural, and geographical potential, while also advancing its efforts in sustainability and environmental conservation. It supports Saudi Arabia’s position in the blue economy as a fundamental pillar of its national economy, establishing the Red Sea as a benchmark for sustainable blue economy practices. Additionally, it enables Saudi Arabia to become a global leader in research, development, and innovation within the blue economy, reinforcing its commitment to a sustainable future for the Red Sea. The strategy further promotes collaboration to protect Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coasts, nature, and the communities dependent on them.

The Red Sea is one of Saudi Arabia's natural regions and contains a rich biodiversity. Covering approximately 186,000 km² with a coastline stretching around 1,800 km, it is home to the world’s fourth-largest coral reef system, featuring 6.2 km of coral reefs and hundreds of islands.

The National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy includes five objectives, which are environmental sustainability, economic development, social development, safety and security, and governance and cooperation. It also includes approximately forty-eight developed initiatives contributing to achieving Saudi Arabia's ambitions in the blue economy and its associated activities.

The National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy seeks, by 2030, to achieve several targets, such as contributing to increasing the coverage of marine and coastal protected areas from 3 percent to 30 percent, supporting the rise of renewable energy to 50 percent of the targeted energy mix, creating thousands of job opportunities linked to the blue economy, and protecting Saudi arabia’s investments in tourism projects along coastal areas, which helps increase the gross domestic product (GDP).

Several centers under the umbrella of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) are working to implement the strategy’s plans, including the Wildlife Center and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC), along with ambitious initiatives such as the Saudi Green Initiative, the Middle East Green Initiative, the G20 Initiative, and the Coral Reefs Initiative.

The strategy also focuses on preserving the rich coastal and marine environment across fifteen sectors in the fields of economic tourism, maritime services, aquaculture, and other elements of the blue economy.