For the countries of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Northern Somali Coast, Sudan, Yemen), two centuries of industrialization came all at once, when oil wealth brought both the benefits and problems of fast economic growth to one of the world's most fragile environments. Today oil is the fuel for development, but the promise for tomorrow is that onshore and offshore mineral mining will provide even more earnings. What makes the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden of particular interest to geologists and biologists is that it seems to be a new ocean in the first stages of formation. It has some of the world's most northerly coral reefs, with numerous endemic species of animals and plants. Though the Red Sea region remains relatively free of pollution and unaffected by population pressures, cities and industries are growing fast, along with oil exploitation and shipping. Life in the sea faces threats from oil lost by ships, from dredging and construction, and from the wastes produced by the big industrial plants being built in the coastal zone. Despite the pressures for fast development, the countries of the region decided to overcome their historical animosities in the interest of their shared environment. They approved their Action Plan in 1976, just after the Mediterranean programme was launched. This plan later evolved into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment Programme (PERSGA), focused on training the region's marine scientists and strengthening of marine science institutions through seminars, study tours and workshops. The Action Plan was remodelled in 1982 to reflect the growing concern about the region's future development. Today the Strategic Action Programme, formally launched in 1999, continues to provide a regional framework for continued cooperation on projects relating to the rational exploitation of living marine resources, public health, coordination of water management policies, development of oil spill contingency plans and drafting of guidelines for coastal area development schemes.