Protecting Saudi Shorelines: National Marine Waste Remediation & Prevention Program

The Challenge

Saudi Arabia’s marine and shoreline environments faced increasing pressures from marine litter and coastal waste accumulation, with no unified operational model for remediation, limited real-time monitoring mechanisms, and unclear role alignment between the relevant stakeholders. In this context, it was critical to build an integrated system that could guide remediation, prevention, data-driven decision-making, and harmonized multi-stakeholder action.

Our Approach

We partnered with MEWA to design a national program for marine and shoreline waste remediation and prevention, grounded in a structured framework spanning immediate remediation and long-term protection.

• Program Architecture & Strategic Framework Designed the overall program based on national environmental priorities, Vision 2030, the Saudi Green Initiative, and relevant SDGs. This included defining the program’s strategic dimensions—environmental protection, green economy enablement, capacity building, community awareness, and strategic partnerships—and translating them into a coherent national framework.

• Remediation of the Existing Situation Designed the operational approach to address accumulated shoreline waste outside urban boundaries. This included:

  • Methodologies for baseline assessment and site prioritization
  • Structuring field teams and defining equipment and logistical requirements
  • Developing cleanup and rehabilitation workflows
  • Defining performance indicators to track removal progress and environmental impact

• Prevention & Proactive Protection Designed preventive mechanisms to reduce recurrence of marine waste, including:

  • Monitoring, inspection, and violation systems
  • Review of policies, regulations, and international agreements to strengthen enforcement
  • Public awareness and community education programs
  • Forward-looking environmental trend analysis to anticipate future risks

• Governance, Partnerships & Volunteer Enablement Designed a multi-stakeholder governance model clarifying roles across government entities, private sector, non-profits, and volunteers. This included:

  • Partner mapping and engagement methodology
  • Volunteer activation mechanisms aligned with national volunteering regulations
  • Incentives, recognition, and participation frameworks

• Implementation Planning, KPIs & Enablement Developed a phased implementation plan covering:

  • Survey and design, execution, and continuous monitoring
  • Clear milestones and timelines
  • A performance management system distinguishing effort KPIs and impact KPIs
  • Identification of required regulatory, financial, human, and technical enablers

Results & Impact

• 132 tons of marine and shoreline waste removed from Saudi coastlines through coordinated remediation efforts.
• Coverage of 100,000 sqm of shoreline.
• Engagement of more than 300 volunteers, activating community participation alongside institutional action.
• Collaboration with 20 entities across government, private sector, and non-profit organizations, strengthening cross-sector alignment and shared ownership.
• Deployment of a unified operational and monitoring model to guide cleanup activities, reporting, and resource coordination across participating regions.

What This Enabled

Beyond individual cleanup efforts, the program established a unified national approach to marine and shoreline waste management—integrating remediation, prevention, governance, and monitoring into a single coordinated framework. This enabled clearer role alignment across stakeholders, more consistent execution across coastal regions, and a foundation for data-driven oversight, community participation, and sustained protection of Saudi Arabia’s coastal environments.