RIYADH: Saudi Red Sea Authority, the key regulator of coastal tourism activities in the Kingdom’s Red Sea, has begun inspections as a prerequisite for issuing licenses to conduct coastal tourism activities, the authority said on Thursday. The inspections were initiated with 14 visits in Jeddah, Jazan and Al-Laith, as a requirement to license marina operators and maritime tourism agents, in line with the new regulations that came into effect on Nov. 5, 2023. The regulations follow collaboration between SRSA and partners from the public and private sectors, and play a key role in fulfilling the authority’s mission to facilitate a flourishing coastal tourism industry, while ensuring environmental sustainability. For sustainable and thriving tourism across Saudi Arabia’s coastlines, the #SaudiRedSeaAuthority initiated on ground inspections, aiming to regulate navigational and marine tourism activities in the Red Sea. pic.twitter.com/EfNOdJjHqW — الهيئة السعودية للبحر الأحمر (@RedSeaSaudi) January 4, 2024 Licensing tourist marina operators will facilitate the management of marina operations, elevate customer service, and ensure a safe environment for yachts and those visiting the Red Sea. The new coastal tourism licenses represent a pioneering step in developing coastal tourism in Saudi Arabia. SRSA said it remains committed to collaborating with its public and private sector partners to enable navigational and marine tourism activities along the Red Sea coast in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals. The authority was established in November 2021 to regulate navigational and marine tourism activities.