JEDDAH: The Saudi Red Sea Authority issued on Tuesday the first maritime tourism agent license for Cruise Saudi, owned by the Public Investment Fund. Mohammed Bukhari, the VP for Coastal Tourism Operations in the Saudi Red Sea Authority, handed over the license to Barbara Buczek, CEO of Destination Experiences at Cruise Saudi, at the company’s headquarters in Jeddah. “This step marks a significant milestone in the development of a promising coastal tourism sector, and it falls under SRSA’s enablement roles,” the authority said in a statement. The license and permit will help regulate coastal tourism activities and will “enable and encourage practitioners and investors in the coastal tourism sector,” it added. The maritime tourism agent provides services to yachts and cruise ships to help ensure sustainable marine navigational tourism activities and facilitate vessel movements within the Kingdom’s waters to adhere to the best sustainable standards and practices.