The Red Sea is evolving from a necessary transit route for yachts heading to the Indian Ocean and Asia from The Mediterranean, into a world-class yachting destination in its own right. Whilst the developments are relatively nascent in comparison to the ambition of Mohammed Bin Salman’s vision for the region, work is already well underway in the Northwestern reaches of Saudi Arabia. 

A significant feature (and potential stumbling block) for yachts considering Suez Canal transits and the Red Sea and Indian Ocean cruising has been the use of armed private security. Mandated by insurance premiums, this service formed as a reaction to the Somali Piracy threat that emerged in the mid-2000s. 

This aspect of maritime security may now be coming to an end. At 00:01 UTC on 1 January 2023, the Indian Ocean High-Risk Area (HRA) as shown on UKHO Chart Q6099, was removed. 

The removal of this designation is a reaction to the significantly reduced frequency of piracy-related incidents in the region. To further boost security, there is a multi-national naval task force tasked with combating piracy in the Somali basin by conducting a five-day operation aimed at increasing naval presence and informing the maritime community on the continuing risks to shipping despite a lull in Somali piracy and…