Saudi developer vows to protect Red Sea corals

Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer of the Red Sea and Amaala mega tourism projects, has announced its “coral commitment” to protect and regenerate corals in the Red Sea.

The multi-layered programme was revealed at a side event during the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai.

“The Red Sea has some of the most stunning and resilient corals anywhere in the world. They may even hold the secret to global coral health. But unfortunately, not even Red Sea coral is invincible,” group CEO John Pagano said.

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“We need to protect and regenerate this vital ecosystem,” he added.

In addition, the Saudi developer signed a letter of intent with the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (Cordap).

Cordap was launched in 2020 by the G20 to fast-track research and development solutions to save the world’s corals. The agreement will see RSG work with the body to accelerate and scale up the development of new technologies that support international coral conservation efforts.

RSG also unveiled Corallium, a new brand for its marine life institute at Amaala.

The developer is currently monitoring some 300 reef sites, rescuing corals through relocation and testing coral farming techniques to restore coral reefs.

In 2021, the developer established several offshore floating nurseries to sustain and grow a small number of rescued corals, achieving a 97 percent success rate.

Next year, RSG will take delivery of a million-dollar coral breeding lab, allowing its team of scientists to produce juvenile coral at multiple points throughout the year.

The developer is already deploying advanced technology, including robots and machine learning, to monitor coral cover.