JEDDAH: This city is famous for the Red Sea. Scuba diving is popular among Jeddawis and residents as the sea offers so much to explore, and divers in the city participate in the preservation of the sea’s marine environment.
The Vice President of the Environmental Affairs at the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection (GAMEP), Dr. Ahmed Al-Ansari, explained that the authority is working on a marine-friendly initiative under the Saudi Vision 2030, specifically the National Transformation Plan 2020.
“One of GAMEP’s initiatives for the National Transformation Plan is titled the Protection of Marine & Coastal Environment Initiative. We will have some sub-projects in this initiative that will take care of many things, including surveying of marine waste to determine its amounts and the best ways to deal with it,” he told Arab News.
The initiative will also aim to improve other things, such as our capabilities in continuous monitoring of our coastal and marine environments to prevent any possible pollution that may occur in the water bodies in Saudi Arabia, whether from point or non-point sources,” he added.
A diving center called Jeddah Pro Divers cooperates with many divers in the Red Sea area. Ehab Al-Jawi, the 45-year-old diving instructor and owner of the center, continuously coordinates with the diving community to ensure the preservation of the marine environment.
Jeddah Pro Divers is certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), of which Al-Jawi is a member.
“In order to preserve the environment, we sometimes create many programs or activities to clean the Red Sea, whether it is on the beach or the corniche, and we have created many events, such as Earth Day 2010. There were specific activities for the groups,” Al-Jawi told Arab News.
He explained that Project AWARE created a program called Dive Against Debris, in which “we teach divers from the beginning how to collect garbage when they are diving and how to take it out of the water.”
PADI is affiliated with the nonprofit organization Project AWARE. Jeddah Pro Divers sends the collected ocean data to the nonprofit organization’s website, www.projectaware.org.
PADI member Nouf Al-Osaimi, the 30-year-old diving instructor at the Bay La Sun Marina Yacht Club at King Abdullah Economic City, also constantly participates in marine environment preservation.
Her heavy interest in the ocean began the first time she experienced diving in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
“I tried diving for the first time in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2008, and I fell in love with it. I began taking courses in 2009, and I have been diving for about nine years now,” Al-Osaimi told Arab News.
Al-Osaimi has been nominated by PADI as an AmbassaDiver.
As explained in PADI’s website, “PADI AmbassaDivers are selected representatives who have excelled within their field, inspiring others to start diving, keep diving or teach diving. They represent PADI values and help to inspire divers, ocean advocates and explorers across the globe.”
“I frequently participate in environmental awareness events, such as this year’s Earth Day. I explained the negative impact plastic has on the environment to people from a marine life creature’s standpoint,” Al-Osaimi told Arab News.
The AmbassaDiver cares deeply about marine life. “I participated in many shark awareness events,” she said. “Sharks are top of the food chain in the ocean. They are actually the creatures that clean the marine environment and preserve the environmental balance.
“Their existence is an indicator that the area is a healthy environment. You will know it is a healthy reef and sea. If an area does not have sharks, it is a very unhealthy marine environment. Just like humans: If there is a land without humans, it is not a healthy environment to live in.”
She explained that sharks are misunderstood creatures. “People fear them because of what is displayed in the media. It is my calling to educate people about sharks for people to know the significance of their presence in the ocean, and that they are not the monstrous creatures that we were brought up to believe they are.”
Al-Osaimi warns people that whatever is thrown in the ocean will come back to them.
“The plastic they throw in the ocean is ingested by marine creatures, which are our source of seafood.
Saudi divers to the rescue of the Red Sea environment
Saudi divers to the rescue of the Red Sea environment
Saudi Arabia, Estonia strengthen cyber defense cooperation
- Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms
RIYADH: Estonia aims to deepen defense, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence cooperation with Saudi Arabia as both nations look to advance technology‑driven defense and cybersecurity capabilities.
Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s minister of defense, told Arab News at the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Monday that Estonia’s defense industry is eager to contribute to the Kingdom’s fast‑growing defense ecosystem.
“In the modern world, cooperation built on trust and technology is the best defense,” he said. “It is important for us to be here because we clearly see there is a possibility to increase cooperation, not only bilaterally between Saudi Arabia and Estonia, but across the region.”
At Estonia’s pavilion, a cooperation agreement was signed between an Estonian company and a Saudi firm during the show, he noted.
Pevkur also said Estonia’s defense sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by technological innovation and partnership.
“Our defense industry is growing very rapidly, and we continue to see strong momentum,” he said.
He said Estonia’s strengths lie in digital and smart‑system integration rather than large‑scale weapons production.
“We will not build airplanes or tanks, but what we can do is integrate robotics, automation and drones to make existing systems smarter,” he said.
The minister said effective defense collaboration must link businesses and governments to achieve meaningful results.
“When we want to have real cooperation, we need it on all levels,” he said. “The biggest client for any defense company is the government, so we must treat this as one ecosystem where the public and private sectors work hand in hand.”
Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms.
Pevkur said several Estonian companies, including Nortal, have already assisted Gulf governments in developing open IT and digital‑service systems.
“As the most digitalized nation in the world, almost every service in Estonia can be done online, except getting married,” he said. “But with such digitalization, we also need strong cyberdefense.”
He said data protection and digital resilience are treated as matters of national sovereignty in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
“Data is what we own. When someone steals that data, it becomes a serious threat,” he added. “That is why cyberdefense is not just about technology, it is about trust, sovereignty and protection.”
Pevkur said Saudi Arabia’s advances in AI offer promising opportunities for collaboration.
“I know that Saudi Arabia is doing great work when it comes to AI,” he said. “For us, as a small country with limited human resources, AI is essential not just for defense but for everyday life.”
Pevkur added that Estonia has launched a national AI strategy to promote responsible development and closer coordination between government and industry. One Estonian company, he said, has developed a system that allows a single operator to control hundreds of drones through AI.
“It is quite easy to put a weapon into the hands of a robot, but we also need to define who is accountable for its actions,” he said.
“The big question for the future is whether we can allow a war to be fought entirely by AI, or if humans must always make the final ethical decisions.”
He said in his conclusion that governments must reach a common understanding on how AI will be used and regulated on the battlefield.
