Saudi Arabian developer Red Sea Global has joined forces with leading global media and entertainment company Warner Bros. Discovery on a documentary film exploring the importance of combating climate change’s impact on coral reefs.
Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals will launch on the Discovery Channel across the US, Europe, Turkey, The Middle East, Africa, and Asia on Earth Day, 22 April 2024. It explains how RSG is putting environmental care and regeneration at the centre of responsible development.
“At Red Sea Global, we are inspired by nature and led by science. Our destinations are home to some of the most stunning corals anywhere in the world,” says John Pagano, group CEO at Red Sea Global. “They are also among the most resilient, but even Red Sea coral is not invincible. Our scientists are using innovative techniques to protect, nourish, and restore our corals, while also transferring knowledge to support coral reefs worldwide.
“In ‘Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals’, we aim to spotlight the beauty and vulnerability of these underwater wonders and emphasize the importance of global collaboration in preserving our oceans.”
The fight for corals
The film chronicles the voyage of Salma Shaker, a free diver from Saudi Arabia, as she investigates the innovative coral research being carried out by scientists at Red Sea Global and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). With its narrative about the global dangers impacting coral reefs, the film crosses national boundaries and even takes viewers to the reefs in Mexico.
Exploring uncharted reefs in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline forms the core of the movie. By showcasing its distinctive biodiversity and vital role in sustaining the global ecology, Red Sea Global seeks to shed light on the mystery surrounding this uncharted region. The documentary further explores the possible advantages of Red Sea coral research for global ecosystems.
Kerrie McEvoy, director and head of factual channels for Discovery Networks EMEA at Warner Bros Discovery, says: “Warner Bros. Discovery is proud to partner with Red Sea Global on Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals. As a company, we believe in the power of storytelling to entertain and inspire change, and this film exemplifies that commitment.”
In order to present a thorough picture of the current condition of reefs around the world, their importance to the ecosystem, and the continuous attempts to protect them, the film incorporates insights from a wide range of experts.
The first official look at the documentary was unveiled to attendees during a Red Sea Global-hosted side event for COP28 in Dubai.
Ecotourism at Red Sea
The Red Sea location welcomed its first guests in 2023, with two hotels open and a third, Nujuma, a Ritz Carlton Reserve, already taking bookings. The Red Sea International Airport (RSI) has been receiving internal flights since September 2023 and will see its first international flight this month, a twice-weekly service to Dubai International. The Desert Rock and Shebara resorts will open this year, and Shura, the hub island, will launch 11 hotels in 2025.
The destination was envisioned to be off-grid; thus far, five solar farms totalling 760,000 solar panels have been constructed and put into service, in addition to one of the biggest battery storage facilities in the world, with 1300 MWh of capacity. In addition, the organisation has cultivated one million more mangroves and more than five million plants, shrubs, and trees.
Earlier this year, Red Sea Global unveiled a state-of-the-art robot to clean its beaches. It says that the robot is “fully electric and remote-controlled” and can clean 3,000 square metres in just one hour.
Join Red Sea at greenloop
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau, senior director – wellness strategy at Red Sea Global (RSG) will speak at greenloop 2024, blooloop’s online conference focusing on sustainability in visitor attractions.
Now in its fourth year, greenloop aims to inform and inspire with top speakers and networking. The event takes place online on 30 April.
Tickets start from just £10pp.
