Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) signed a Master Research Agreement (MRA) with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
The agreement, which is open for renewal after five years, follows extensive collaboration between the two organizations on flora and fauna assessments, marine spatial planning, and an international competition called the Brains-for-Brine Challenge.
The MRA cements the legal framework for mutually beneficial research projects on topics including, sustainability of marine environments, waste management systems, sustainable food production, energy conservation, and carbon sequestration.
CEO of TRSDC John Pagano said there is a growing realization that tourism, along with many other human activities, needs to be far more sustainable and even regenerative in its approach.
Pagano described the Saudi Red Sea coast as one of the most pristine environments in the world, indicating that by working with KAUST, “we can not only preserve but actually enhance this unique treasure for future generations.”
“Our ambition is to become one of the first global destinations to demonstrate a regenerative approach to tourism. This partnership will not only help us to achieve our goals, but we hope to share what we learn here with the rest of the world.”
The Red Sea coast is home to a vast array of thriving coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, and the associated richness of biodiversity.
The collaborative research and development of both parties will inform and guide efforts to go beyond environmental protection and ensure that these critical habitats are enhanced to support the growth of flora and fauna populations, including critically endangered species like the Hawksbill turtle.
KAUST President Tony Chan noted that it is hard to imagine an area of interest and expertise more inextricably linked to KAUST than the Red Sea.
“Through this collaboration with TRSDC, we expect visitors to come away with an appreciation of, not only the unique regenerative approach to tourism offered by TRSDC, but also, through KAUST, by the Kingdom’s vast and deep understanding of this ocean system as a whole.”
Chief Environment Officer at Red Sea Development Company Rusty Brainard noted that achieving carbon neutrality and enhancing biodiversity in this unique and pristine location is a challenging task, but it is of great importance.
“By working with some of the world’s greatest scientists at KAUST, it is a challenge that we can rise to.”
Establishing scientific monitoring to track environmental changes over time is one of the first assignments already underway as part of the new research agreement and will be vital in helping TRSDC achieve its commitment to deliver a 30 percent net conservation benefit by 2040.
KAUST researchers and scientists supported the development of the destination’s master plan with the delivery of an extensive Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) exercise.
As a result, 75 percent of the project’s islands will be left undeveloped in a conservation-to-development ratio unprecedented in any documented coastal development plan in the world.
