Blueprint for Coastal Excellence: Saudi Red Sea Authority Maritime & Marine Tourism Oversight Project

Challenge

SRSA needed a comprehensive framework for inspection, compliance and audit across a wide range of marine and maritime tourism activities along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline, including Jeddah, Yanbu, Allith, Al Wajh, Jazan and Tabuk. This included identifying diverse stakeholders, aligning with international standards such as IMO Instruments, Blue Flag, Golden Anchor, ISO 13687 and 16304, and addressing infrastructure, regulatory compliance, environmental risks and social responsibility. The goal was to enhance coastal tourism readiness while ensuring safe and sustainable coastal operations across several high-profile locations.

Solution

Lloyd’s Register (LR) Advisory is working with SRSA over a two-year engagement to design and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), conduct technical and monthly infrastructure reviews, and carry out compliance visits to marinas, cruise terminals, beaches and other tourism assets in association with Takamol Holdings. This includes establishing international benchmarking, training SRSA staff, and developing audit and reporting systems. The project covers a broad set of operational focus areas, including emergency response, safety measures, risk management, environmental planning, sustainability, waste and water quality management, international security and community involvement.

Approach taken

LR Advisory has deployed a dedicated team of maritime experts to collaborate with SRSA in association with Takamol Holdings, using a structured methodology to ensure alignment with ISO, IMO and civil regulations. The approach combines site-specific technical reviews, periodic audits and stakeholder consultations, culminating in phased visits and feedback-driven documentation for each location.

Key activities & outputs

• SOP development and documentation aligned with international standards
• Technical review reports for marinas, cruise terminals and beaches
• Monthly audit, visits and compliance reports
• Consultation and feedback sessions with asset owners
• Training programme design and delivery for SRSA staff

Key customer benefits

• Strengthened compliance with international maritime and tourism standard
• Structured framework for compliance visits, audit and reporting
• Enhanced infrastructure readiness and safety oversight
• Staff capacity building through targeted training
• Ongoing risk management and environmental accountabilit

Project outcome

As the project is ongoing, the key deliverables to date include the establishment of SOPs, the initiation of regular visits and audit routines, and stakeholder alignment on regulatory compliance and risk management. Training and documentation components are also underway, contributing to SRSA’s longer-term coastal tourism oversight objectives.

Conclusion

This partnership between SRSA and LR Advisory reinforces how structured visits and compliance frameworks can improve safety, sustainability and tourism readiness. Though mid-way, the project has already created replicable models of oversight and reporting, with strong foundations laid for the final implementation phases.

Impact on customer's business & operations

The project supports SRSA’s mandate to elevate the Red Sea region as a global maritime and tourism destination. By standardising audit and compliance visits processes, and aligning infrastructure with international best practice, it has given SRSA clearer operational oversight and a more sustainable approach across all inspected locations.

Other applications

This framework can be adapted for use by other coastal tourism regulators or port authorities aiming to implement international SOPs, environmental compliance strategies or marine infrastructure audits.