Saudi Red Sea Authority strengthens sector regulation and increases preparedness | News
The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) highlighted a series of key achievements in its 2025 annual report that reflect continued progress in building a more regulated, efficient and sustainable coastal tourism sector. These efforts include developing regulatory frameworks, improving operational preparedness, strengthening compliance and supporting investors, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
These achievements build on SRSA’s approach to developing an industry based on regulatory clarity, operational discipline and institutional integration. For the first time in the Kingdom, SRSA has issued requirements and conditions for beach operators, which contribute to increasing the level of safety, protecting the environment and improving the quality of the tourist experience.
As part of the same regulatory efforts, SRSA issued and renewed 26 coastal tourism permits, supporting the regulation of coastal tourism activities and enabling their practice within clear frameworks. It also approved six operational models for coastal tourism activities, strengthening uniform practices and improving operational efficiency across the sector.
SRSA also launched the Kingdom’s first introductory guide to coastal tourism activities, providing a unified reference for information, procedures and requirements. The first edition of the guide focused on hunting-related activities.
In the area of compliance, SRSA conducted 371 field visits to ensure compliance and promote awareness, support compliance with regulatory requirements and strengthen practices that ensure the safety of operations and quality of service.
SRSA has further supported this regulatory process by developing 77 approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which have helped unify procedures, reduce operational differences and improve service quality and execution efficiency.
The Authority also continued to develop the regulatory environment through the official integration of “Exploitation of Maritime Tourism Activities” into the National Classification of Economic Activities, providing the sector with a clearer economic definition, supporting formal regulation and strengthening growth within a more stable environment.
As part of its efforts to improve the investment environment, SRSA has enabled 91 investors through dedicated support and assistance frameworks, including technical, administrative and advisory support, to address challenges and improve the investor journey.
SRSA also strengthened its institutional partnerships by signing three agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with local and international entities, supporting integration, knowledge exchange and the development of an enabling environment for the sector.
These achievements reaffirm SRSA’s continued role as a facilitator and regulator of the sector, contributing to the sustainability of coastal tourism and increasing the sector’s willingness to continue to grow and expand in line with best practices.
