## 2 Seismotectonic Framework  
The Red Sea region, a significant rift zone between the African and Arabian tectonic plates, presents a complex and intriguing seismotectonic framework that has been the focus of extensive geological and seismological studies [26; 27; 28; 29; 30]. The Red Sea formed as a result of the divergent motion between the African and Arabian plates, which began in the late Oligocene to early Miocene (Figure 1a). This rifting process is part of the larger Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-East African Rift system, a classic example of a triple junction [26; 30; 31]. The extensional forces led to the formation of a rift valley, which subsequently evolved into a young oceanic basin. The rifting was accompanied by extensive volcanic activity, evidenced by the presence of basaltic flows and other volcanic rocks along the rift margins. The Red Sea basin's morphology varies along its length, transitioning from narrow and deep in the south to wide and shallow in the north. This morphological variation reflects differences in the spreading rates and the stage of oceanic crust formation. The central and southern parts are characterized by a well-developed axial trough, indicative of active sea-floor spreading [26; 30; 31]. The northern part, however, is marked by a wide shelf area and less pronounced bathymetric features. Structurally, the region is marked by a series of transform faults and fracture zones that accommodate the differential motion between the plates [31]. These transform faults often host significant seismic activity and are crucial in understanding the seismic hazard of the region. The Red Sea is seismically active, with the distribution and characteristics of seismicity varying along its length. The central and southern segments, where active sea-floor spreading occurs, exhibit moderate to high seismicity (Figure 1b) with relatively shallow focus earthquakes [28]. These earthquakes are primarily associated with the normal faulting mechanism, consistent with the extensional regime of an active rift. In contrast, the northern segment shows lower seismic activity, with earthquakes occurring at greater depths. This variation in seismicity is attributed to the differences in the crustal and lithospheric structures along the rift [28]. The seismic activity in the region provides valuable insights into the ongoing tectonic processes, such as the rate and nature of the spreading and the dynamics of the transform faults. The seismotectonic framework of the Red Sea has significant implications for regional geodynamics. The study of seismicity patterns and focal mechanisms provides insights into the strain distribution and stress regime in the rift system. Furthermore, the Red Sea region serves as a natural laboratory for studying the processes of continental breakup and the transition from rifting to drifting, offering a window into the early stages of ocean basin formation [26; 30; 31].  
Recent spatial distributions of seismicity, as illustrated in Figure 1b, provide substantial evidence of the active plate boundaries encircling the Arabian Peninsula. The frequency of earthquakes in the Gulf of Aqaba presents a notable seismic hazard, especially to the northern regions of Saudi Arabia. In addition, catastrophic earthquakes in the Zagros Mountains of southern Iran pose the risk of long-period ground motion shaking in eastern Saudi Arabia. The seismic activity associated with the Dead Sea Transform is characterized by a combination of swarm and mainshock-aftershock types of earthquake occurrences, as identified by [32].