Saudi Red Sea Authority issues seven regulations to facilitate Red Sea navigation

The Saudi Red Sea Authority has announced the issuance of seven new regulations for navigation in the Saudi Red Sea that will come into effect in 90 days, the authority said in a statement on Saturday.

The regulations cover yachts, cruise ships, marinas and other coastal tourism components.

“Developed by SRSA in cooperation with maritime entities, the regulations are in line with the authority’s mandate to update navigational rules, policies and laws to ensure the preservation and protection of the Red Sea and stimulate coastal tourism economic growth,” it said.

Mohammed Al-Asiri, acting CEO of SRSA, said: “The seven new regulations formulated by the Saudi Red Sea Authority in collaboration with maritime stakeholders are an important development toward facilitating cruise ship and yacht navigational activities in the Kingdom’s Red Sea and creating the conditions for sustainable coastal economic growth.

He said that they have ensured the regulations are comprehensive and address all requirements and objectives.

“As SRSA continues to review and update regulations, we can expect to see further benefits for Red Sea operators and practitioners,” Al-Asiri said.

The seven new regulations comprise part of SRSA’s continuing efforts to regulate maritime activities for cruise ships and yachts, as well as to enable marine activities.

“SRSA’s collaboration and integration with partners in the Red Sea maritime ecosystem have been instrumental in gathering and working on stakeholder inputs for these regulations,” the authority said.

“Collectively, SRSA and its stakeholders strive to protect the environment while fostering coastal tourism’s economic development in the Red Sea,” it added.

SRSA said that it will issue the necessary procedures and measures to enforce the regulations and all parties subject to them are required to comply with the authority’s directives.

SRSA was established following a Cabinet decision in November 2021, and its responsibilities include regulating maritime activities for cruise ships and yachts, and enabling marine tourism and recreation, while ensuring environmental protection within these activities through supervision, monitoring and other necessary measures.

SRSA also supports investments, including small and medium-sized enterprises, defines infrastructure requirements for maritime activities, employs technology to facilitate license and permit procedures, and encourages maritime and marine activities.