JEDDAH — NEOM and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have announced a joint project to establish the biggest coral garden in the world in Shousha Island in NEOM with an area of 100 acres.

The island will become a world center to showcase innovations and efforts to protect and renovate coral reefs and speed up solutions to maintain them in light of climate change. This project is planned to be completed in 2025 to make NEOM an international pioneer location in the field of renovating and developing coral reefs.

KAUST President Dr. Tony Chan stressed that the university has pioneering research in the field of Red Sea environment, where this promising project with NEOM is considered one of the biggest deals of transferring technology in the history of KAUST, voicing aspiration to working side by side with NEOM to improve the quality of life through science and technology.

He pointed out that the Shousha Island at the Red Sea is home to more than 300 species of coral and 1,000 kinds of fish, where the coral garden will provide a unique opportunity for research and development with the aim of preserving coral reefs and attracting scientists, researchers and tourism lovers interested in the environment. — SPA