Message from the CEO

Introduction

setting a benchmark for progress

The Red Sea coastline of Saudi Arabia is an area rich in wildlife – both flora and fauna. It is also an unexplored gem of natural beauty, encompassing sweeping dunes, dormant volcanoes, deserts and pristine islands. As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia looks to open its borders to international travelers – from adventure seekers and cultural explorers to maritime enthusiasts and wellness lovers – it is essential that protecting the diverse native wildlife and environment is prioritized in a sensitive and considered way.

By far the largest effort ever undertaken by a development company and more comparable to activities completed by government agencies on a national scale, this environmental survey and summary report, conducted by the Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES) at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), serves a crucial purpose. It has comprehensively analyzed the populations and habitats of the fascinating wildlife species that inhabit over 200km of vibrant Red Sea coastline that sit within TRSDC’s flagship destination – The Red Sea Project (TRSP).

This analysis, and data collected, serves as the foundations for honoring TRSDC’s wider commitment to sustainability and transparency – measuring success against key targets in the conservation and protection of the local environment. It is supported by existing initiatives such as TRSDC’s Marine Spatial Planning simulation, which utilized specialized software and a dedicated multi-stakeholder planning, and information sharing process to assess developmental impact and enhance biodiversity through tourism development.

Both ground-breaking, luxury tourist destinations are being developed within an area of outstanding natural beauty – with beautifully complex systems of lagoons and reefs. This variety provides habitat for hundreds of species of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals.

With sustainability at its very core, TRSDC’s goals for this highly diverse area are not only to minimize potential negative impacts of development but also to achieve a net conservation benefit. This report will be used as an initial benchmark for TRSDC to measure itself against its stringent sustainability promise and its commitment to leaving the destination a more thriving and healthier place than it was before. As such, these surveys will set key indicators for regular reporting into:

• Condition of the Red Sea’s coral reef habitats, including coral cover and diversity • Population status of reef fishes, sharks and rays, including total fish biomass, fish diversity, and encounter rates with priority species • Abundance of marine mammals including dugong across our marine environments • Size of bird breeding populations of key bird species, and measures of their breeding success, • Size of nesting green and hawksbill sea turtle populations on our islands

In addition to the coral reefs, marine mammals, birds and turtles covered in this report, other survey programs will assess and report on the extent and condition of mangroves, seagrass, and terrestrial habitat.

As the findings show, the waters and islands of the Red Sea are naturally abundant, with spectacular and impressive locations, habitat features, and remarkable natural events, and therefore need careful and scientifically sound stewardship. This begins with making sure our methods are thorough and supported through innovative technologies where possible. More than 25,000 birds’ nests were counted, 92 islands were surveyed for evidence of turtle nesting, first investigations of the elusive and vulnerable dugong in our area were made, including partnering with local researches to test the efficacy of using hydrophones to acoustically monitor their distribution and behavior, over 300,000 fishes were counted and more than 280 fish species were recorded, and nearly 300 coral reef sites were visited and analyzed through a mix of direct observation and use of high-tech monitoring solutions such as CoralNet, a machine learning tool that learns how to automatically analyze coral reef survey images. Using such technology allow us to gather much more data than we otherwise could -to build a fuller, more comprehensive picture of our vast and diverse area.

Halavi guitarfish observed at Safayih Island. Juveniles hide in the sand and quickly swim away when approached, making capturing photographs of them a challenge. • Coral Reef Fish and Habitats • Birds • Priority megafauna • Advanced technology and additional survey efforts The report is divided into four chapters, three focused on a particular wildlife or environment category and one giving more details on technological approaches that we are using:

All of our habitats are precious and potentially vulnerable, but some habitats in our area are especially important for species that are considered endangered or vulnerable to extinction, such as the hawksbill turtle, the sooty falcon, and the Halavi guitarfish. The work being done to preserve and cultivate this area, and protect these species, is of significance not only to the Red Sea Coast and TRSDC, but to environmental conservation efforts globally.

A hawksbill emerges from its resting place, tucked in the reef, to surface for a breath

1. Coral Reef Fish & Habitats

The coral reef survey is a vital part of the regenerative tourism approach for TRSP and AMAALA, as both destinations are home to thriving coral reefs at a time when many of the world’s reefs are experiencing increasing stress. As climate change continues to impact the world we live in, reefs around the world are under threat. There are reasons to believe that the corals of the Red Sea, particularly the northern Red Sea, will be more resilient to climate change than others around the world, but that only increases the importance of properly managing these precious resources.

Properly documenting the status of these resources before significant developments has taken place is important for several reasons, including:

• Understanding the distribution of conditions - knowing not only where the ‘best’ reefs are, but also those in less good condition, so we can truly assess change over time.

• Enabling assessment and credible reporting of progress towards the project’s conservation enhancement goals.

• Building a coral reef ecosystem bank of robust and comparable information for planning and management purposes.

• Supporting future enhancement efforts – identifying which areas and environmental conditions are most suited to particular forms of enhancement. • Generating an information base, and associated media, to showcase TRSDC’s spectacular natural resources and environmental stewardship.

The potential establishment of one or more large, well-managed, no-take Marine Protected Areas (MPA) within the Red Sea project areas could lead to dramatic increases in fish numbers as the, already impressive, systems shift towards ‘wilderness’ states. Given the current pressures on the world’s coral reefs, such MPAs could be of enormous regional and even global significance. Reliable and accurate surveys allow us to credibly document and report such change

In total, the team surveyed fish and habitats at nearly 300 coral reef sites spread widely across reef habitats within the TRSP area. Surveys were conducted between March and September of 2021.

Schoolof bumphead parrotfish outside Ghawar Island