Seeking to attract long-term environmental investment and enhance the sustainability of its tourism sector, Egypt on Sunday launched the Egyptian Red Sea Initiative, a comprehensive programme dedicated to protecting the country’s unique coral reef ecosystems.
The initiative was announced by Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad during celebrations marking World Environment Day 2026.
The event was attended by Red Sea Governor Walid Abdel-Azim El-Barqi, United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Resident Representative Chitose Noguchi, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Yomna El Bahar, government officials, conservation groups, private sector representatives and local community leaders.
Awad said the initiative had been developed in line with Egypt’s national priorities in biodiversity conservation, local development, climate adaptation, sustainable tourism and green investment.
She described the Red Sea as both an environmental and economic asset, noting that its coral reefs support tourism, employment, coastal livelihoods and private sector activity.
“Protecting coral reefs means protecting local communities and strengthening their resilience,” Awad said.
The initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the UNDP in Egypt and with support from the Global Fund for Coral Reefs. It includes measures to improve the management of protected areas, expand coral reef monitoring programmes, develop long-term financing mechanisms, promote community-based ecotourism and address environmental pressures affecting marine and coastal ecosystems.
Awad also announced that Egypt is working to establish an Egyptian Coral Reef Fund to attract long-term investment in conservation, sustainable tourism and local development projects.
Red Sea Governor Walid Abdel-Azim El-Barqi said the initiative represented an important step towards applying sustainable blue economy principles and developing innovative financing tools to ensure the long-term protection of the region’s coral reef ecosystems.
He added that safeguarding natural resources had become an economic necessity for strengthening local economic resilience and protecting the livelihoods of coastal communities.
UNDP Resident Representative Chitose Noguchi said the initiative would help integrate coral reef conservation with sustainable development goals, noting that healthy reef ecosystems support tourism, local economies and communities across the Red Sea coast.
