Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Authority (SRSA) recently announced that it issued its first two licenses for operating marinas in the cities of Yanbu and Al-Lith to Al-Ahlam Marine. This step supports the authority’s mission to advance the coastal tourism sector by creating an attractive environment for tourists, investors, and marina operators in the Red Sea region.
Rooted in its core mandates, which include issuing licenses and permits, the authority is working on enhancing marina infrastructure and encouraging investment in marine and navigational tourism activities. The new marina licenses enhance tourism infrastructure by providing mooring areas for boats and yachts, adhering to the highest safety standards, and facilitating hospitality services, while enriching experiences, regulating tourism activities across Saudi Arabia, and preserving the marine environment.
Promoting Red Sea sustainable tourism
By licensing these new marinas, Saudi Arabia also aims to improve infrastructure and promote sustainable tourism along the Red Sea coast, complementing existing licensed operations, which include Red Sea Marina in Jeddah, and Al-Ahlam Marina in Jeddah and Jazan.
Notably, this effort marks a significant advancement in the authority’s efforts to develop coastal tourism in the Red Sea, further reinforcing its status as a global destination.
The authority also announced that it granted the first six licenses for tourist yacht agents in Saudi Arabia as part of its efforts to develop a thriving coastal tourism sector. The list of licensed tourist agents includes both national and international companies: Faisal M. Higgi & Associates Co. Ltd., Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo, HASCO Group, Hill Robinson, JLS Yachts LLC, and GAC.
The issuance of these licenses for coastal and maritime tourism activities in Saudi Arabia is a key part of the authority’s mandate. Hence, it aims to promote investments, identify infrastructure needs, and safeguard the marine environment within the Kingdom’s borders. By pursuing these objectives, the authority aims to cultivate a dynamic coastal tourism sector that contributes to realizing the goals of Vision 2030.
Read: Saudi Arabia’s Hail region receives nearly 1.1 million tourists in first half of 2024
Tourism sector flourishes
According to the World Economic Forum, coastal and marine tourism represented at least 50 percent of total global tourism in 2023. It is a $9.5 trillion revenue industry that generates every one in 11 jobs. Indeed, for many small island developing states, it is their largest economic sector. Therefore, Saudi Arabia’s efforts in bolstering its coastal tourism, which is part of its larger surging tourism sector, will play a key role in its economic advancement and diversification efforts.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that the number of licensed tourism hospitality establishments across the Kingdom has surpassed 3,950 by the end of the third quarter of 2024, achieving a remarkable growth rate of 99 percent compared to the same timeframe in 2023.
Saudi Arabia has set an ambitious goal of welcoming 150 million tourists annually by 2030, emphasizing its commitment to establishing itself as a premier global tourism destination. Therefore, its efforts in growing its coastal tourism sector align with its ambitious target.
The expansion of the tourism sector has also been bolstered by a 17 percent increase in passenger air traffic, reaching 62 million in the first half of 2024, compared to 53 million during the same period the previous year. This growth was further supported by a 12 percent rise in the number of flights, totaling 446,000 as opposed to 399,000 in the first half of 2023.
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