The National Center for Environmental Compliance has recently held a workshop highlighting the importance of environment sustainability in the Red Sea, after the Red Sea becomes a special area, starting on January 1, 2025. The workshop brought together government entities concerned with the maritime sector. General Manager of Transportation and Logistic Sector Saleh Al-Mutairi said: "Declaring the Red Sea as a special area will enable us to apply the necessary environmental standards and requirements to ensure its sustainability." He also talked about the center's role in ensuring the Kingdom's compliance with international environmental protection standards, such as the MARPOL Convention, which aims to reduce the discharge of oily waste and other ship-generated waste into marine waters, and stressed that the purpose of the workshop was to achieve the desired environmental goals. Al-Mutairi said that designating the Red Sea as a special area will bolster environmentally sustainable tourism projects in the region, contributing to the national economy and preserving the environment for future generations, consistent with the wise leadership's directives to protect the environment, and supporting the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to achieve sustainable economic development. The workshop also highlighted the unique, and vital, marine environment and biodiversity in the Red Sea. Participants exchanged ideas and perspectives on how to develop effective strategies to preserve the marine environment and promote sustainable development in the region, which serves as a vital source of natural resources and an economic asset for local communities that depend on this ecosystem. Source: Saudi Press Agency