Saudi Arabia Introduces First-Ever Rules for Beach Operators on Red Sea Coast

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia is taking a major step to boost Red Sea tourism with it’s set of regulations for beach operators. The Saudi Red Sea Authority has issued the new rules which stipulate licensing standards, safety standards, public health standards, environmental protection standards, and infrastructure standards as the Kingdom shifts to commercialization of its pristine coastline.

The Requirements and Conditions of the Beach Operators are detailed guidelines of the way the beaches should be operated in the Red Sea in terms of security, sustainability, and safety of tourists. These laws are under the Saudi Arabia vision 2030 program, which is to develop the growth of the coastal tourism and develop world class leisure and hospitality facilities along the western coast.

These necessities create a high quality internationally harmonious system of the beach operations, including safety, health of the people, and environment, the Red Sea Authority said.

The relocation comes after Saudi Arabia had earlier on been driven to make the Red Sea a major economic and tourist destination. In 2024, the Saudi Red Sea Authority and the Ministry of Investment published the report on Invest in Coastal Tourism, which presents the Red Sea coastline as the center of the objectives of the strategy of Vision 2030, which involves the attraction of 19 million visitors.

The new regulations aim at improving visitor experience and sustainable management of the beach, such as:

• Creating the design and development of the beach corresponded to Saudi Building Code.
• Accessibility of people with disabilities.
• Health and security provisions such as lifeguards (trained), good signs, and a separation of swimming and marine activities.
• The ecological issues, including the avoidance of pollutants release, waste aspect, eco-friendly materials, and compulsory ecological monitoring.
• Conformance to the international norms e.g. the Blue Flag eco-label.

The regulations also describe the elaborate licensing processes such as commercial registration, environmental license, marine zoning licenses, beach safety plans and capacity assessment. The old operators of the beach will be given one year to adjust to the new standards of both technical and environmental requirements with the rules becoming effective one month after the announcement.

By 2030, Saudi Arabia anticipates that its Red Sea coastal tourism would add about SR85 billion ($22.6 billion) to its GDP, generate more than 210,000 employment opportunities, as well as attract an increasing portion of the leisure and entertainment market.

These historic regulations will prepare Saudi Arabia to host world-class, safe, and sustainable tourism to the Red Sea, which helps to meet Vision 2030 and increases the popularity of the Kingdom as an international leisure destination.