Red Sea Global, DarkSky International Launch World's First DarkSky Resort Certification

Red Sea Global (RSG) has collaborated with DarkSky International to create the world's first certification recognizing resorts that protect natural night skies through responsible outdoor lighting, benefiting wildlife while creating exceptional stargazing experiences.

 Responsible outdoor lighting is a cornerstone of regenerative development. By minimizing artificial light at night, DarkSky principles reduce energy consumption, preserve natural night skies, and protect biodiversity by maintaining the natural light-dark cycle that wildlife depends on. This is particularly important for nocturnal and light-sensitive species, including sea turtle hatchlings, which use the natural brightness of the night sky over the sea to orient themselves toward the ocean. These principles also create exceptional opportunities for stargazing and immersive astrotourism experiences.

 "Red Sea Global is integrating responsible lighting into every stage of development to protect the ecological integrity of the night environment. Through our collaboration with DarkSky International, RSG is setting a new benchmark for regenerative tourism, demonstrating that preserving natural darkness not only safeguards biodiversity and ecological processes but also enriches the guest experience through world-class and authentic connections with nature,” said Group Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer of Red Sea Global Raed Albasseet.

 DarkSky International CEO and Executive Director Ruskin Hartley said: “Red Sea Global's commitment to sustainable, DarkSky-friendly design created an opportunity to evolve our Lodging program. Together, we developed resort-specific lighting best practices that recognize the unique needs of larger hospitality destinations while upholding DarkSky's rigorous standards for protecting the night.”

 He added that as demand for astrotourism experiences continues to grow worldwide, the DarkSky Approved Lodging & Resort program helps travelers identify destinations that offer exceptional night skies while meeting rigorous environmental standards. Both the Lodging and Resort certifications require exceptional dark skies, considerate outdoor lighting, and a rigorous review by DarkSky's lighting team.

 RSG now has 15 resorts open across three destinations and will continue expanding DarkSky compliance across its portfolio, supporting additional resorts in achieving certification as new properties open.