The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) announced the appointment of Dr. Maryam Ali Ficociello as Chief Executive Officer, effective March 22.
Ficociello brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning governance, risk management, resilience, and compliance across public and private sectors, including state-owned entities. She has also represented the Kingdom at various international forums.
Commenting on her appointment, Ficociello said: “It is an honor to join the Saudi Red Sea Authority at this pivotal stage in its journey. SRSA has a critical role in enabling a world-class coastal tourism sector that is safe, well-governed, and investment-ready, while protecting the Red Sea’s unique marine ecosystems.”
“I look forward to working with our stakeholders across government and industry to strengthen regulatory excellence, embed sustainability and resilience across the sector, and advance the Kingdom’s ambitions for responsible coastal tourism and the blue economy,” she added.
The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) is an independent Saudi government authority responsible for regulating navigational and marine tourism activities within the geographic scope of the Red Sea in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
SRSA was established under a resolution of the Council of Ministers on November 30, 2021, with the aim to encourage and support investors, including small and medium-sized companies, enhance activities to attract targeted practitioners, and build human capabilities through plans dedicated to qualifying and training national competencies. The Council of Ministers approved its regulation on October 31, 2023.
The Authority undertakes a range of mandates, including: developing policies, strategies, plans, programs, and initiatives; issuing the necessary licenses and permits to regulate navigational and marine tourism activities; identifying locations and routes for practicing navigational and marine tourism activities, in collaboration with relevant entities; determining infrastructure requirements and needs in alignment with relevant entities; establishing a mechanism to ensure protection of the marine environment in locations where navigational and marine tourism activities are practiced.
The Authority’s mandates also include: implement motivating procedures to encourage and attract investment in navigational and marine tourism activities in collaboration with relevant entities; promoting navigational and marine tourism activities to attract practitioners; building a technological system to facilitate tourist access to all authority services through a single platform; and enhancing human capabilities through plans aimed at qualifying and training national competencies in specialties related to the authority’s mandates.
