Safety Governance as a Driver of Sustainable Regional Development in Saudi Arabia's Tourism Infrastructure Projects

Saudi Arabia's tourism infrastructure pipeline is central to Vision 2030, yet the same scale that enables destination transformation also concentrates occupational, environmental, reputational and community risks. This review examines safety governance as a strategic driver of sustainable regional development in tourism infrastructure projects, including destination cities, coastal resorts, heritage districts, mobility links, utilities, entertainment assets and enabling worker accommodation. Drawing on peer reviewed literature and policy evidence published between 2020 and 2025, the paper develops an integrated framework linking safety governance to productivity, destination confidence, regional employment, social licence and environmental stewardship. A structured narrative review method was used to synthesize studies on Saudi construction safety, tourism governance, mega-project risk, occupational heat exposure, sustainable destination management and global safety standards. The review finds that safety performance is not merely a compliance outcome; it is a development capability that affects project continuity, investor assurance, local acceptance and the long term competitiveness of emerging regions such as Tabuk, AlUla, the Red Sea coast, Riyadh and the western pilgrimage corridor. Four governance pathways are identified: regulatory alignment, contractor accountability, digital evidence systems and place-based worker welfare. The study contributes a safety-governance nexus for Saudi tourism infrastructure and proposes practical indicators for project sponsors, public agencies and contractors. It concludes that sustainable regional development requires safety to be embedded from feasibility and design through construction, commissioning and destination operations.