The 38th general meeting of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) will be held in Jeddah from September 9 to 13.
The event will be attended by experts, researchers, and decision makers in the marine environment protection sector from both within and outside the Kingdom.
The purpose of the meeting is to exchange experience and knowledge, as well as to discuss current challenges and future trends in the protection of coral reefs.
ICRI is formed of 45 countries covering 75% of the world's coral reefs. The initiative is an international platform aimed at protecting and preserving coral reefs and diverse marine ecosystems worldwide.
The meeting's objective is to improve methods of conserving coral reefs from a variety of threats, including climate change, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, and other blue economy activities. It also seeks to boost collaboration among governments, NGOs, and private companies, to address the challenges to coral reefs.
The meeting will address the need to organize the blue economy activities to balance economic development and environmental sustainability. It will also focus on developing and empowering human capabilities through the exchange of knowledge and training by scientists, researchers, and decision makers to strengthen coral reef protection mechanisms worldwide.
Moreover, it will explore ways to increase societal awareness about the importance of coral reefs and their critical role in biodiversity and the blue economy.
General Organization for Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (Shams) CEO Dr. Khaled bin Mohammad Asfahani said on this occasion that "the organization is fortunate to have the support of the wise leadership. It has been equipped with the requisite regulatory tools to oversee, regulate, and protect coral reefs and their associated ecosystems in the Red Sea".
According to him, the organization "has garnered the attention and continued support of international organizations engaged in coral reef conservation, such as ICRI, as a result of its financial resources and human competencies".
"We are honored to have the Kingdom host the 38th general meeting. We welcome the arrival of a group of scientists, researchers, and decision makers to engage in a discussion regarding the most recent advancements in coral reef conservation and to share their ideas and experiences. This will ensure the sustainability of marine environmental resources and economic development, as well as to provide the requisite information to support decision making," he added.
Asfahani said that the Kingdom's steadfast dedication to preserving the marine environment, and its unwavering commitment to sustainable development in order to achieve a balance between economic development and coral reef protection is demonstrated by its hosting of the meeting.
The event also highlights the Kingdom's endeavor to bolster international cooperation and establish new partnerships that contribute to improving the standards of sustainable development of the marine environment, developing national human competencies, raising environmental awareness in society, and increasing research and innovations to protect coral reefs and the marine environment, which is one of the pillars of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.