RIYADH: Tourists traveling to The Red Sea Project can expect better mobility and accessibility options as Saudi authorities are developing the Kingdom’s first geographical navigation map that charts the scope of marine tourism in the coastal area.
The Saudi Red Sea Authority and the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information have partnered with 19 government agencies to develop the first-ever coastal tourism map of the Red Sea.
Mohammed Al-Asiri, CEO of the Saudi Red Sea Authority, revealed that the steering committee has accomplished qualitative work during the past six months by collecting and analyzing data and standards for geographical areas and field verification.
“It allowed us to reach an agreement on the geographical scope and confirm the excluded sites to open the way for ... navigational activities and marine tourism in other territorial waters of the Red Sea,” said Al-Asiri, in a statement.
The new map will serve as an introductory guide to government agencies, allowing better identification of avenues to boost coastal tourism in the Red Sea.
By building the navigational map, appropriate legislation requirements, governance and digital solutions, the committee will present the map to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and Council of Ministers for approval.
“Geospatial information contributes to protecting the Kingdom’s resources and environment and enabling its sustainability,” said Mohammed Al-Sayel, president of GASGI, adding that this is an important enabler for many sectors and digital fields.
He said they seek to contribute to the correct use of this information to support the Kingdom’s digital economy, which will directly reflect on its advanced investment environment.
In April, the GASGI participated at the inaugural meeting of the international advisory committee of its UN counterpart in Deqing, China.
During the meeting, the authority presented its experience of developing a national strategy in line with global standards prescribed by the UN’s Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre Framework.
This framework integrates location information to plan cities, build infrastructure, develop disaster management strategies, and manage natural resources such as green spaces, water and minerals.
As Saudi Arabia aligns its projects with the UN framework in this pioneering field, this will soon allow geospatial studies, map production, and marine surveys in the Kingdom to be on par with global standards.
