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The Blue holes of Saudi Arabia are a series of twenty marine caverns along the coast of the Red Sea, between the Afifi region in the south and the Gulf of Aqaba in the north of the sea. Saudi Arabia announced the discovery of the blue holes in 2022. [1]
Saudi Arabia announced the "Journey of the Decade" in 2022, led by Dr. Carlos Durati, to explore the Red Sea and conduct a comprehensive water survey over nearly 4 months. The blue holes were discovered during the ensuing survey. [2] [3]
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology will conduct studies and research dealing with biodiversity and threats to the important blue holes.
Protecting and studying these blue holes is in line with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s green initiatives, represented by the initiative to raise the percentage of protected areas to reach 30% of the Kingdom’s area by 2030, in addition to rehabilitating those affected by them. Saudi Arabia also announced that blue holes represent 9% of the marine areas targeted for protection. It is also considered a distinctive tourist destination and provides opportunities for studies and research into marine biodiversity.
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez. It is underlain by the Red Sea Rift, which is part of the Great Rift Valley.
The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness in Western Asia that occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. It stretches from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 sq mi). It is the fifth largest desert in the world, and the largest in Asia. At its center is Ar-Rub' al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. It is an extension of the Sahara Desert.
Jeddah, alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda, is a port city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and the country's commerciaI center. It is not known when Jeddah was founded, but Jeddah's prominence grew in 647 when the Caliph Uthman made it a travel hub serving Muslim travelers going for IsIamic pilgrimage to the hoIy city of Mecca. Since those times, Jeddah has served as the gateway for millions of pilgrims who have arrived in Saudi Arabia, traditionally by sea and recently by air.
Ḥaʼil Province, also known as the Ha'il Region, is one of the 13 provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the eighth-largest province by area at 103,887 km2 (40,111 sq mi) and the ninth-largest by population, with the population in 2019 being 731,147. The province accounts for roughly 2% of the population of the country and is named for its largest city, Ha'il. Other populous cities in the province include al-Ghazalah, Shinan and Baq'aa. The region is famous for the twin mountain ranges of 'Aja and Salma, and for being the homeland of historic symbol of curiosity and generosity, Hatim al-Ta`i.
Jizan Region also spelled Jazan is the second smallest region of Saudi Arabia. It stretches 300 km (190 mi) along the southern Red Sea coast, just north of Yemen. It covers an area of 11,671 km2 and had a population of 1,404,997 at the 2022 census. The region has the highest population density in the Kingdom. The capital is the city of Jazan; Prince Muhammad bin Nasser has been the Governor since April 2001.
The Mecca Province, officially Makkah Province, is one of the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia. It is the third-largest province by area at 153,128 km2 (59,123 sq mi) and the most populous with a population of 8,557,766 as of 2017, of which 4,041,189 were foreign nationals and 4,516,577 were Saudis. It is located in the historic Hejaz region, and has an extended coastline on the Red Sea. Its capital is Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, and its largest city is Jeddah, which is Saudi Arabia's main port city. The province accounts for 26.29% of the population of Saudi Arabia and is named after the Islamic holy city of Mecca.
Socotra or Saqatri is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean. Lying between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea and near major shipping routes, Socotra is the largest of the four islands in the Socotra archipelago. Since 2013, the archipelago has constituted the Socotra Governorate.
Tayma or Tema (Hebrew: תֵּימָן Tēmān is a large oasis with a long history of settlement, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia at the point where the trade route between Medina and Dumah begins to cross the Nafud desert. Tayma is located 264 km southeast of the city of Tabuk, and about 400 km north of Medina. It is located in the western part of al-Nafud.
Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conservation purpose, typically to protect natural or cultural resources. Such marine resources are protected by local, state, territorial, native, regional, national, or international authorities and differ substantially among and between nations. This variation includes different limitations on development, fishing practices, fishing seasons and catch limits, moorings and bans on removing or disrupting marine life. In some situations, MPAs also provide revenue for countries, potentially equal to the income that they would have if they were to grant companies permissions to fish. The value of MPA to mobile species is unknown.
Marine conservation, also known as ocean conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas through planned management in order to prevent the over-exploitation of these marine resources. Marine conservation is informed by the study of marine plants and animal resources and ecosystem functions and is driven by response to the manifested negative effects seen in the environment such as species loss, habitat degradation and changes in ecosystem functions and focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, restoring damaged marine ecosystems, and preserving vulnerable species and ecosystems of the marine life. Marine conservation is a relatively new discipline which has developed as a response to biological issues such as extinction and marine habitats change.
Farasan Island is the largest island of the Farasan Islands, in the Red Sea. It is located some 50 km offshore from Jizan, the far southwestern part of Saudi Arabia and is among the largest islands in the Red Sea. It is located at around 16°42′21″N41°59′0″E. The main town on the island is Farasan. The "Farasan island marine sanctuary" has been created around the island to protect biodiversity.
Rabigh is a city and governorate in the Province of Makkah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, situated on the coast of the Red Sea, around 208 km (129 mi) northwest of Mecca in the historic Hejazi region. The city had an estimated population of 180,352 in 2014 and is situated at an elevation of 13 m (43 ft) above sea level, close to the border with the Madinah Province. The city dates back to the era before the advent of Islam in the 7th century C.E., and up to the 17th century, was known as Al-Juhfah, or Al-Johfah.
Saudi Arabia is the second biggest tourist destination in the Middle East with over 16 million visiting in 2017. Although most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. As the tourism sector has been largely boosted lately, the sector is expected to be the white oil for Saudi Arabia. This is proved as tourism sector is expected to generate $25 billion in 2019. Potential tourist areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, Red Sea diving and a number of ancient ruins.
Reef Check is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of two reef ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and Californian rocky reefs. The Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States, but uses data from volunteer scuba diver teams in over 80 countries, ranging from Australia, Japan, to even Germany. It is the United Nations’ official coral reef monitoring program.
The Asir Mountains is a mountainous region in southwestern Saudi Arabia running parallel to the Red Sea. It comprises areas in the Region of 'Asir, but generally, it also includes areas near the border with Yemen. The mountains cover approximately 100,000 square kilometres (40,000 sq mi) and consists of mountains, plains, and valleys of the Arabian highlands. Sensu lato, they are part of the Sarawat Mountains, defining the latter as the mountain range which runs parallel to the Tihamah throughout the western portion of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly the western parts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
The desert-covered Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the geographically largest country in the Middle East. Moreover, it accounts for 65% of the overall population of the GCC countries and 42% of its GDP. Saudi Arabia does not have a strong history in environmentalism. Thus, as the number of population increases and the industrial activity grows, environmental issues pose a real challenge to the country.
Neom is a new urban area planned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be built in its northwestern Tabuk Province. The site is north of the Red Sea, east of Egypt across the Gulf of Aqaba and south of Jordan. The total planned area of Neom is 26,500 km2 (10,200 sq mi). The city's plans include multiple regions, including a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts and a linear city powered by renewable energy sources. It was launched by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
Qiddiya is an entertainment megaproject to be established in Riyadh. Construction started in the beginning of 2019. The project is one of the tourism megaprojects to be established in Saudi Arabia under the auspices of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the income resources of the country and alleviate its reliance on oil. On 26 June 2019, the master plan for Qiddiya was revealed, composed of five primary projects. These projects include resorts, parks, and a city center. Phase one, slated to be completed in 2023, will feature Six Flags Qiddiya as a family attraction.
The Environmental Science Center is a research center at Qatar University and was established in 1980 to promote environmental studies across the state of Qatar with main focus on marine science, atmospheric and biological sciences. For the past 18 years, ESC monitored and studied Hawksbill turtle nesting sites in Qatar.
The Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage Center in Saudi Arabia is a center affiliated with the Heritage Commission, a key entity operating under the Saudi Ministry of Culture. Established in November 2020, the center's executive strategy was launched in August 2022, with the aim of preserving and discovering underwater cultural heritage. It operates in collaboration with several local and global universities, including King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and its Red Sea Research Center, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and the University of Naples “L’Orientale.”