Racing for Regeneration
Our partnership with The Ocean Race
Red Sea Global’s partnership with The Ocean Race grew from a shared belief: great adventures on the water should also advance the health of our oceans. By blending sport, science, and sustainable development, we aim to show that progress can move as swiftly as the wind – without leaving the sea behind.
What is The Ocean Race?
The Ocean Race has provided the ultimate test for sailing teams since 1973. Known as ‘sailing’s greatest round-the-world challenge,’ it is widely recognized as the pinnacle of achievement for sailors across the world, creating legends throughout the years.
Beyond the race, The Ocean Race serves as a platform to address environmental challenges facing our oceans, uniting global partners to take action and mobilize industries and policymakers for sustainable change.
Since 2022 Red Sea Global has served as The Ocean Race’s Regenerative Project Partner, uniting the thrill of round-the-world sailing with the practical work of restoring ocean health. That collaboration now enters a landmark phase: the 15th edition of the race will conclude at AMAALA in 2027 – the first Grand Finale ever staged on the shores of the Red Sea. The finish will spotlight Saudi Arabia’s maritime heritage and its growing leadership in marine conservation.
In the lead-up to 2027, Red Sea Global and The Ocean Race are expanding joint programmes in science, education, and community engagement. Racing yachts will continue to operate on-board laboratories, collecting microplastic, temperature, and salinity data on every leg, while an ocean-literacy curriculum will introduce thousands of young people across the Kingdom to careers in marine science. These initiatives answer the UN Ocean Decade’s call to renew society’s relationship with the sea.
By weaving elite sport into a regenerative-tourism framework, the partnership proves that high-performance racing can accelerate innovation in ocean protection. The legacy will be a healthier, better-understood Red Sea, open to future generations of sailors, scientists, and coastal communities.
Team AMAALA:
Carrying the Red Sea into open water
Building on our growing collaboration with The Ocean Race, Red Sea Global has formed Team AMAALA, an elite sailing squad that will fly the Kingdom’s flag on Europe’s most demanding offshore circuit. The campaign begins with The Ocean Race Europe 2025, a multi-stop sprint from the Baltic to the Adriatic that attracts the sport’s top crews and cutting-edge IMOCA-class yachts.
At the helm is renowned Swiss skipper Alan Roura, whose record-setting trans-ocean passages and deep IMOCA experience make him an ideal leader for a performance-driven but purpose-led team. Together with a diverse international crew, Roura will showcase how advanced sail technology, data-rich onboard science labs, and disciplined seamanship can work in concert with the ocean rather than against it.
The 2025 European tour is only the first waypoint. A trans-Atlantic leg from New York to Barcelona follows in 2026, culminating in the full round-the-world edition that finishes at AMAALA in 2027. At each stage, Team AMAALA will gather ocean-health data, engage coastal communities, and spotlight Saudi Arabia’s commitment to regenerative tourism – proving that competitive sailing can chart a course toward a healthier sea.
The Ocean Race Tracker 2025
Supporting Ocean Science and Sustainability
As part of its wider engagement with The Ocean Race, AMAALA has also become an official supporter of The Ocean Race’s science program for both the 2025 European race and the 2027 global race.
The Ocean Race science program plays a critical role in collecting comprehensive ocean data while the teams are racing, including water temperature and salinity, oxygen and CO2 levels, microplastic concentrations and eDNA. This data will be shared with international science organizations providing ocean scientists and researchers with more data points to better understand the changes taking place in European waters. During the last edition of The Ocean Race around the world in 2023, over 4-million data points were shared with researchers and scientific agencies.
Among the institutions set to benefit from the data is Corallium, AMAALA’s Marine Life Institute, a global center for ocean conservation, education, and entertainment opening later this year.
Saudi Sailing Heritage
The sea has always been an important part of Saudi Arabia’s history and heritage – dating back to the ancient spice trade routes, and creating thriving communities along its coasts.
By sharing The Ocean Race’s ambitions when it comes to ocean health, Red Sea Global widens access to the Red Sea where, for millennia, people have depended on the open water for their livelihood: from ancient mariners manning trade routes on dhows laden with spices, to local communities fishing among vibrant coral reefs.
In supporting ambitious Saudi men and women to explore their maritime heritage, we are ensuring the legacy of this rich, deep relationship with the sea continues right to the present day.
PREVIOUS YEARS
Red Sea Global at the launch of The Ocean Race 2023 in Alicante
Built with Shorthand