First EcoDivers Trained in Saudi Arabia

Dr. Mohammed Kotb of PERSGA (the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden) recently certified 11 divers representing the Presidency of the Meteorology and Environment Protection, the official authority in Saudi Arabia concerned with environmental protection. Training began three months ago as part of PERSGA’s rigorous training program that includes marine background information, advanced diving skills, underwater photography, and survey techniques. PERSGA is carrying out this training program to increase the skilled governmental capacities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Region. The trained groups will then be able to implement underwater damage/status assessment and monitoring tasks. PERSGA is aiming to offer this program to the national marine environmental specialists in the other five countries of the region (Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen).