Red Sea project partners with KAUST for marine development

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed an application of conservation and development planning to enhance biodiversity and conservation-priority species distributions across almost 1,300 square kilometers of pristine lagoon.

The Marine Spatial Planning process coordinates multiple uses of the marine environment – energy and utilities, recreation, conservation, transportation and shipping, aquaculture and others – and carefully manages the way these interact with vulnerable species and habitats to optimize goals of both conservation and development.

To inform the process, KAUST brought biologists, ecologists, oceanographers and modelers together with TRSDC’s architects, engineers and master planners, to collaborate on the large-scale project planned to achieve net conservation benefits in the presence of carefully planned development, a company statement said.

“We will not compromise the standards that we have set for ourselves as we deliver this incredible project. We believe that this commitment matches the desires of our potential customers in the luxury travel market,” John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC, said.

The Red Sea Project, one of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030’s gigaproject development initiatives, will deliver a luxury tourism experience, while enhancing the destination's natural wonders. The project will be created around several diverse treasures, including an archipelago of more than 90 islands surrounded by coral reefs, desert canyons and dormant volcanoes, and heritage sites.