JEDDAH, 14 February 2006 — The Red Sea is still considered virgin compared to other large bodies of water around the world, said Tarek Taher, president and CEO of Aal Taher Group and founder of the Reef Chief environmental organization.

“We have to preserve what remains of natural beauty of the Red Sea in order to prevent the spread of damage to non-affected areas,” he said.

Taher was speaking to the media persons during a press conference yesterday coinciding with the last day of the Jeddah Economic Forum. The Aal Taher Group includes several industrial, food, hotel, and real estate subsidiaries.

The conference was also attended by Abdullah Alsuhaibany, manager, natural resources and protected area unit at the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden (Persga). Taher noted that most of the damage inflicted on the Red Sea is located mainly around cities, but he said that it has not reached a serious level. Areas that are away from civilization are still virgin and flourishing with life, he said.

One of the main reasons why Red Sea is relatively unharmed by humans is the absence of tourism.

“Usually underwater life gets damaged where tourists gather, especially with the existing lack of awareness about main preservation methods,” said Taher.

Taher recently completed a documentary about the Red Sea aimed at exposing the dangers the sea faces due to human development.

“I’ve watched the gradual deterioration of certain parts of the Red Sea due to negligence and lack of awareness,” he said.

Alsuhaibany, said that there is an urgent need to establish public awareness in order to preserve the natural beauty of the Red Sea.

In 1998, scientists began to notice that an increase in coral bleaching, an indication of human and environmental factors that is killing delicate reefs.

Sewage treatment is a major problem. Despite major population growth, sewage trucks are still used to drain Jeddah’s septic systems. There is no comprehensive citywide sewage treatment policy. Taher said that now the government is establishing more sewage refineries as part of their plan to preserve the Red Sea.

“Sewage water that was dumped in the seas was one of the main causes of destruction of underwater life,” he said.

The problem of sewage still persists in Jeddah, however, not only destroying the pristine beauty of the Red Sea, but also contaminating the water table, which exposes the public to health risks.