Abstract
The Red Sea’s marine environment holds vital significance as a critical commercial corridor for global trade, linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal, with its stability directly impacting global economies. It holds a wealth of natural resources, such as natural gas and fish, and hosts a unique ecosystem with immense biodiversity, while also being a major global tourism destination. However, the Red Sea’s marine environment faces significant challenges, including pollution from increased shipping traffic, urban and industrial expansion, climate change impacts, oil pollution and unsustainable tourism activities. These factors threaten coral reefs, biodiversity and food supply chains. Despite the existence of relevant international and regional legislation and policies, their effectiveness remains questionable due to varying state capacities for compliance and the need for enhanced coordination, monitoring and implementation mechanisms. This study analyzes the legislative framework for protecting the Red Sea’s marine environment, identifying key challenges to compliance and exploring opportunities that effective implementation of these frameworks could offer for regional cooperation and achieving sustainable development goals. In doing so, it provides a critical analysis aimed at formulating practical insights to strengthen the protection and sustainability of the Red Sea’s marine environment for future generations.
