Saudi Arabia issues requirements and requirements for pleasure boat rental activity

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The Saudi Red Sea Authority issued, for the first time in the Kingdom, the requirements and requirements for pleasure boat rental activity, as part of its ongoing efforts to regulate coastal tourism activities, improve the quality of services provided, enhance safety levels, and protect the marine environment, in a way that contributes to the development of the coastal tourism sector and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The requirements and conditions aim to set clear rules that regulate the activity of renting pleasure boats for visitors and tourists in the Saudi territorial waters of the Red Sea, so that any operator has the right to practice this activity after obtaining an official license from the Authority, and adhering to the specified standards for quality, safety, and protection of the marine environment.

The requirements and conditions included a strict licensing system that ensures compliance with the requirements of this activity, as the company or facility responsible for managing and operating boats is required to obtain a marine activities operator’s license, according to the Saudi News Agency (SPA).

It is required to obtain an independent tourist rental license for each boat, after passing a field technical inspection conducted by an approved company, and meeting all necessary requirements and conditions.

Licenses are valid for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance, and may be renewed based on an application submitted for this purpose, with a careful review of the operator’s compliance record and the level of quality of services provided.

The requirements and requirements paid special attention to the visitor experience, obligating operators to provide visitors with complete safety instructions before the start of each trip, and to provide a written emergency plan in Arabic and English that covers cases of fire, collisions, and other marine accidents.

It also obligates the operator to take into account the sea state, weather conditions, boat speed and carrying capacity, refrain from sailing in unsuitable conditions, and take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of visitors while boarding and disembarking the boat and throughout the duration of the trip. In addition, the operator must provide insurance coverage to protect visitors and the marine environment from any potential damage.

The requirements and requirements guarantee the visitor’s right to view the full details of the trip before completing the reservation, including its duration, route, starting and returning points, and activities provided during it, while obligating operators to fully disclose prices, cancellation conditions, and refund policies, and not to collect any fees or amounts that have not been previously disclosed.

It also required providing an appropriate means of communicating with non-Arabic-speaking beneficiaries, whenever the nature of the trip requires it, and communicating with them in a manner that enhances the quality of their tourism experience. Operators must, in all cases, establish a clear mechanism to receive complaints and address them effectively.

The requirements and conditions include provisions that take into account the needs of persons with disabilities, as they require operators to clearly disclose the suitability of their boats and services for them, and to indicate the available means of assistance, which contributes to providing a more comprehensive marine tourism experience.

In the same context, the requirements and requirements are keen to preserve the marine environment of the Red Sea, by requiring operators to follow operational practices that protect coral reefs and marine biodiversity, educating visitors about environmentally responsible behaviors, and committing to engage in activity within destinations and marine areas approved by the Authority only.

The requirements and requirements for pleasure boat rental activity shall enter into force 180 days after the date of their publication.

This step comes to activate the authority’s role as the regulatory body for coastal tourism activities, and reflects its commitment to providing a safe and enjoyable marine tourism experience that befits the status of the Red Sea as a leading global tourist destination, and contributes to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 through diversifying the economy, developing coastal destinations, and investing in the natural components of the Kingdom.