Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Marine Protected Areas

Saudi Arabia’s 2,640 km long coastline borders the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea to the west, and the Persian Gulf to the east [1]. The Exclusive Economic Zone of Saudi Arabia is approximately 228,633 sq km [2]. Saudi Arabia has four designated, and 59 proposed marine protected areas (MPAs) [3]. These areas fall into the category of Protected Area, National Nature Reserve, Nature Park or Marine Wildlife Sanctuary. The Saudi Arabian Royal Decree M/12 of 1995 enacted the Protected Areas Act, which sets out the requirement for a network of protected areas to be established and managed, along with the range of activities prohibited within all protected areas [4].

Sources

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Saudi_Arabia

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone

[3] WDPA

[4] Gladstone W, Krupp F, Younis M (2003) Development and management of a network of marine protected areas in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region. Ocean Coast Manage 46:741–761.