Red Sea Global, the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA, has seen its first two dive centers become the first and only PADI Adaptive Service Facilities in Saudi Arabia.  
 
In 2023, Red Sea Global announced a commitment to ensure its luxury destinations and experiences will be fully accessible and inclusive for guests and visitors with disabilities and special needs. This involved ensuring that all aspects of the dive bases, including infrastructure and logistics, communication methods, training protocols, and safety measures, are designed to be inclusive and welcoming to all divers. The rating requires each center to have PADI Adaptive Techniques Instructors on staff and to provide wheelchair access throughout, including for the diving pool and any boats it uses to provide dive experiences. Dr. Sander den Haring (MI 164438), Associate Director – Dive Operations and Mohamed Elgazzar, PADI Instructor (MSDT 399878) were part of the team involved in this process.  

Q: What business challenge did you face? 

A: Ensuring that not only our infrastructure but also our instructional team is able to deliver all-inclusive experiences.  

The ability to offer adaptive diving courses to our clientele is very important. We believe that our offerings should be inclusive, and our aim was to be the first diving center in Saudi Arabia to be able to offer scuba diving to all guests, regardless of their physical ability. To realize this, we needed to ensure that not only the infrastructure (for example the dive center and our boats) but also our instructional team is able to deliver all-inclusive experiences.  

Our biggest challenge was the lack of benchmarks in developing this brand-new destination. This created a lot of “unknowns”. Our approach continues to be a flexible approach that continually examines our offerings and is ready to amend our model if the market requires this. 

A scuba diving lesson at Red Sea Global, a PADI Adaptive Services Facility

Q: Did you have any concerns with working with PADI to address this? 

A: PADI has been a beacon of support. 
 
Not at all; actually completely the opposite. Reaching out to PADI has provided us with solutions, action points and suggestions on how to approach the problems or issues we were/are facing. PADI has been a beacon of support from step one.  
 
PADI has not only assisted in equipping our instructors with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach adaptive diving courses effectively, but we have also been able to capitalize on the PADI brand to create awareness and generate interest in our adaptive diving course offerings.  

Q: How did PADI help you solve your business challenge?   

A: We’ve benefited from advice and the power of the PADI brand 

PADI has assisted in our dive center application, provided suitable advice on e–Learning approaches, and offered specialized training programs and certifications for instructors who want to teach adaptive diving courses.  

We will also look to leverage PADI’s marketing campaigns, social media presence, and online platforms to reach a broader audience and attract potential customers interested in adaptive diving. 

A scuba diver at Red Sea Global, a PADI Adaptive Services Facility

Q: How is it working now? 

A: Everything is working well; we’re excited for the future! 

We are still at the infancy of our operations but for now everything is working fine. The team is excited in our intended direction of travel, and we aim to provide exciting experiences to all clients fostering an inclusive range of offerings. 

Q: What’s your advice to others facing a similar challenge? 

A: Reach out to PADI for advice and support. 

Ensure that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide safe and enjoyable diving experiences for adaptive divers. 

Take the time to educate yourself about adaptive diving and the specific challenges and considerations; learn about different disabilities, adaptive equipment, and techniques for teaching and supporting divers with special needs. Reach out to PADI for advice and support. 

Are you ready to learn more about all of the benefits of PADI membership? 

Contact your PADI Regional Office and get started on a custom solution to drive growth in your business.

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