The Blue Economy and Achieving Sustainable Development According to Vision 2030 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The blue economy is one of the key pathways to achieving sustainable development, especially in the light of the world's challenges, whether they are economic crises or climate change, and consequently affect both natural and human resources and their sustainability. Depending on the various fields of the blue economy, whether it is marine tourism, fish farming, or maritime transport... ...etc., they contribute to achieving many goals such as: protecting and sustaining the aquatic environment, achieving food security, providing job opportunities... ...etc.; and this has contributed to achieving sustainable development goals. The term "blue economy" generally refers to a sustainable ocean economy - that is, economic activities related to oceans, seas, and coastal areas, allowing for the exploitation of resources. Resources while maintaining the integrity of the ocean ecosystem. However, there is no globally agreed-upon definition. The ocean economy includes all economic activities related to the oceans, such as oil and gas extraction from the seas, marine equipment and construction, container shipping, shipbuilding and repair, marine tourism, port activities, and marine energy. It also includes the natural resources of the oceans, from fisheries to carbon sequestration. The study aimed to clarify the theoretical concepts of both the blue economy and sustainable development and to identify its active sectors. It also aimed to identify the main challenges hindering the path of the blue economy. The study relied on the analytical, inductive, and deductive approaches to reach the requirements that must be met for the blue economy. I reached a set of conclusions, the most important of which are that the blue economy can be an important path in sustainable development, but it may face some challenges. The blue economy is an economic lever for many countries, especially coastal ones. A series of recommendations were presented, the most important of which were: spreading blue awareness worldwide and promoting marine culture to improve the condition of our oceans and seas, establishing laws and regulations governing this type of economy and its various sectors, and benefiting from international experiences in environmental protection and blue growth by deepening ties with international bodies and organizations responsible for environmental protection.