TABUK: A 600-year-old coral colony measuring more than 10 meters in height has been discovered south of Al-Waqadi Island, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Red Sea Development Company told SPA that the discovery, by its team of marine scientists and environment experts, was the first of its kind in the Red Sea region.
The age of the coral reefs was estimated by measuring the size and number of rings that grow annually on the colony’s outer structure, in addition to the presence of giant redwoods. The colony is a historical reference to past centuries and, through the scientific reading of the coral reefs’ rings, scientists will be able to know the ocean temperature in previous years as well as its chemical composition at that time. The company said the discovery highlighted the beauty of marine life on Al-Waqadi, which is west of the ambitious tourism project.
Coral reefs are living creatures and their beauty is usually formed when the initial coral polyp adheres to a rock on the seabed. Its lower part is made up of a solid limestone skeleton and it begins to divide itself into thousands of cloned organisms while staying connected to create a colony that works as one organism.
Massive coral colony discovered on Saudi Arabi’s Al-Waqadi Island
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Massive coral colony discovered on Saudi Arabi’s Al-Waqadi Island
- Coral reefs are living creatures and their beauty is usually formed when the initial coral polyp adheres to a rock on the seabed
Saudi Arabia champions AI and sustainable growth at UN tourism meeting in Kuwait
- Saudi Tourism Minister says tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy, contributing about $10 trillion to global GDP
KUWAIT CITY: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb has called for stronger international cooperation to build a tourism ecosystem that is integrated, resilient, and future-ready, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.
In a opening address at the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East in Kuwait City, he noted that tourism is “no longer a peripheral activity but a massive engine of economic development.”
“With an estimated contribution exceeding $10 trillion to global GDP, tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy,” said Al-Khateeb, speaking as president of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly. The three-day conference opened on Feb. 10.
He pointed to the Middle East’s exceptional recovery, which recorded a 39 percent increase in international arrivals in 2025 compared to 2019, welcoming nearly 100 million visitors last year.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s driving force behind these regional statistics, noting that the Kingdom now represents approximately 30% of the Middle East tourism market in both visitor numbers and spending.
“We are proud that Saudi tourism’s uninterrupted growth has become a driving force for regional tourism, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with UN Tourism to share our expertise with the world,” he said.
Focus on AI
Addressing the meeting’s central theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Al-Khateeb emphasized the need for responsible innovation. He described AI as a key enabler for growth but stressed that the “human touch” defining the hospitality sector must be maintained and the workforce protected.
On the sidelines of the regional commission, the minister met with counterparts from across the region to explore ways to promote regional cooperation and alignment to enhance resilience and build tourism industries that can drive inclusive economic and social development.
Al-Khateeb also met with leading investors from Kuwait to discuss investments in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and explore new opportunities to leverage Saudi Arabia’s integrated investment ecosystem, designed to enable regional and international investors to achieve sustainable, long-term value.
The 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East is the first held in the region since the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, hosted in Riyadh last November.
That assembly resulted in the historic “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism,” which established a global consensus on sustainability, inclusive growth, and the responsible adoption of human-centric AI for the next fifty years.
