• The following terms and phrases - wherever they appear in these regulations and procedures - shall have the meanings specified next to each, unless the context requires otherwise:

  • The Kingdom: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • The Council: The Board of Directors of the Saudi Red Sea Authority.

  • The Regulatory Regulation: The regulatory regulation for tourist cruise ships.

  • The Authority: The Saudi Red Sea Authority.

  • The Regulations and Procedures: The regulations and procedures for tourist cruise ships.

  • The Geographical Scope: The territorial sea belonging to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, where navigational and marine activities are conducted, and the part of the land associated with the exercise of those activities; excluding military and security areas and others therein.

  • The Owner: The person who operates the vessel on their behalf as an owner, charterer, or manager of the common property.

  • The Tourist Maritime Agent: The corporate personality licensed by the Authority to provide services to the maritime vessel for conducting navigational activities within the geographical scope.

  • The Organizer of Tourist Maritime Trips: The corporate personality licensed by the Authority to conduct the organization of tourist maritime trips within the geographical scope.

  • The Operator of Tourist Cruise Ships: The corporate personality responsible for the daily management and operation of the vessel and ensuring its compliance with international treaties to which the Kingdom is a party and the regulations and laws adopted in the Kingdom. The operator is considered the owner unless proven otherwise.

  • The Maritime Vessel: Any floating means prepared to operate on or under water surfaces used for tourism or recreational purposes. The necessary accessories of the maritime vessel for its exploitation are considered part of it.

  • Passage Permit: A written approval allowing the maritime vessel to enter the tourist marina for a specified period and for specific purposes, provided that the permit includes information about the maritime vessel, the route of the trip, as well as specifying the crew and passengers.

  • Maritime License: A document issued by the General Transport Authority that includes the eligibility of the maritime vessel for maritime navigation within the geographical scope, after fulfilling all security, safety, and necessary environmental requirements.

  • Technical License (Tourism and Recreation): A document issued by the Authority allowing the maritime vessel to enter, navigate, and move within the geographical scope for tourism purposes.

  • Trip Route License (Cruise): A document issued by the Authority for the route of the tourist cruise ship to move between marinas, ports, and tourist destinations within the geographical scope.

  • Tourist Trip Permit: A periodic written approval issued by the Authority allowing the maritime vessel to move between destinations, aimed at ensuring compliance with security and safety procedures, provided that the permit includes information about the maritime vessel and specifies the duration and date of the trip, as well as the locations, routes, and activities of the trip, with the point of departure and return, and also specifies the crew and passengers and the purpose of the trip.

  • Departure Permit: A written approval allowing the maritime vessel to depart from a specified exit point to outside the geographical scope, provided that the permit includes information about the maritime vessel and specifies the time, date, and route of departure, as well as the details of the crew and passengers.

  • License for Operating Tourist Cruise Ships: A document issued by the Authority allowing the corporate personality to operate tourist cruise ships.

  • The Tourist Marina: The area used for stopping or mooring the maritime vessel within the geographical scope.

  • Tourist Cruise Ship Station: The area used for stopping or mooring tourist cruise ships, equipped with specific facilities for receiving and disembarking passengers and providing related services.

  • Tourist Cruise Ships: Large passenger ships designed or used for entertainment or tourism purposes, capable of accommodating a large number of passengers on board.

  • Tender Boat: A boat for transporting passengers from cruise ships to the shore or tourist marina back and forth.

  • Navigational Activities: The maritime navigational activities of the maritime vessel used for tourism and recreational purposes or on which such activities are conducted within the geographical scope.

  • Passengers: The individuals transported by the vessel other than the captain and crew members and other workers on board.

  • The Crew: All individuals working on board tourist cruise ships in any capacity, including the captain, chief officers, and engineers.

  • The Electronic Platform: A government platform affiliated with the Authority that provides all services related to maritime tourism.

These regulations and procedures apply to tourist cruise ships within the geographical scope in accordance with the regulatory list and related instructions.

• 1- The operator of tourist cruise ships wishing to organize tourist maritime trips within the geographical scope must contract with a licensed tourist maritime trip organizer from the authority.

• 2- All tourist cruise ships that the tourist maritime trip organizer wishes to operate must comply with the licensing conditions and in accordance with all regulations and instructions issued by the authority and relevant entities.

• 3- Appointing a tourist shipping agent and/or organizer does not exempt the owner and/or the owning entity and/or the captain of the tourist cruise ship from their responsibilities and obligations under the regulatory regulation and the controls, procedures, instructions, and circulars related thereto.

• 1- In "emergency situations": A cruise ship may enter the geographical area without any licenses, and it is required to appoint a tourist shipping agent within a maximum period of (3) days from its entry.

• 2- In "normal navigation situations" (refueling, supplies, maintenance): A cruise ship may obtain a passage permit in accordance with what is stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in Article (17), which was ratified by the Kingdom in the year 1416 AH. Accordingly, the ship is granted the right of passage within the territorial sea or to head to internal waters or to stop at one of the ports, provided that this passage is continuous and swift for a period not exceeding (4) days.

• 3- A passage visa is issued for individuals on board the cruise ship, and in the event that it is not possible to issue a passage visa for a number of individuals, they are prohibited from disembarking from the ship, and the shipping agent is obligated to sign a declaration with the General Directorate of Border Guard confirming compliance with this.

• The authorized tourism maritime agent must submit an electronic application through the electronic platform and enter the following information:

  • 1- Registration certificate.

  • 2- List of crew members and passengers.

  • 3- Valid comprehensive insurance document within the geographical scope, covering the full civil liability of the insured arising from death, bodily injury, or property damage caused by the vessel, and wreck removal.

  • 4- Specify the purpose of the visitation, for example (refueling, provisioning, crew change, repairs).

  • 5- The authority issues a transit permit for a duration of (4) days, and if there is a need to exceed this duration, a request for a technical license (tourism and recreational) must be submitted.

• 1- All required documents must be submitted through the electronic platform to obtain visas for crew members and passengers and to complete the pre-clearance procedures for the customs declaration.

• 2- The cruise ship must notify the relevant authority at the point of entry in advance with a notice of arrival.

• 3- Fulfillment of the requirements of the Ministry of Health, Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority, General Directorate of Passports, General Directorate of Border Guard, and the tourist marina at the point of entry.

• 4- Cruise ships may leave the geographical area through an alternative exit point after obtaining a departure permit and notifying the relevant authorities, and fulfilling the requirements of the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority, General Directorate of Passports, General Directorate of Border Guard, and the tourist marina.

• The authorized tourism maritime agent or the organizer of maritime tourism trips must submit an electronic application through the electronic platform and provide the following information:

  • 1- A document outlining the complete route with longitude and latitude lines.

  • 2- A risk assessment of the route and destination.

  • 3- A list of the vessels that will use the route and their specifications.

  • 4- Compliance with the criteria for activating the coastal tourism destination.

  • 5- Submission of any other requirements deemed necessary by the authority to obtain the license.

• The use of cruise ships for routes between ports, docks, or destinations is subject to the following conditions:

  • 1- The ship must be seaworthy from a technical standpoint and have qualified crew members.

  • 2- The ship must have one of the tourism shipping agents accredited by the General Panel.

  • 3- The ship must carry all certificates related to safety, security, and marine environmental protection, as well as the qualification of sailors, as mandated by international agreements, codes, and relevant regulations and laws.

  • 4- Approval from the Transport General Authority for foreign cruise ships.

• 1- The tourist maritime agent must submit an electronic application via the electronic platform and enter the following information:

  • ‌A- A statement of the names of the crew and passengers and their information.

  • ‌B- Identification of the locations and routes of the trip.

  • ‌C- The duration of the trip.

  • ‌D- The date of the trip.

  • ‌E- Information about the cruise ship.

  • ‌F- The point of departure and return.

  • ‌G- The purpose of the trip.

• 2- The operator of the tourist marina must ensure that the data is accurate before the cruise departs from the tourist marina.

• 1- The tourist maritime agent must submit an electronic application through the electronic platform and enter the following information:

  • ‌A- A statement of the names of the crew and passengers and their information.

  • ‌B- Specify the point of departure.

  • ‌C- Date of departure.

  • ‌D- Time of departure.

  • ‌E- Information about the maritime vessel.

  • ‌F- Destination.

• 2- After fulfilling all requirements for ((Port clearance)), the operator of the tourist marina must ensure the data is accurate and issue the departure permit.

• 3- The license is canceled as soon as the maritime vessel leaves the geographical area, even if its duration has not expired, and the authority has the right to make exceptions as needed.