Fossils of a huge marine lizard dating back more than 80 million years were found during excavation work by a company on the western Saudi coast, reported Saudi Gazette.

Red Sea Development Company CEO John Pagano said the discovery indicated that life existed in the area millions of years ago.

He mentioned Saudi Arabia’s rising interest in fossil animals and plants and anticipated that the latest findings would provide another incentive to encourage work on the discovery of ancient relics buried along the coast.

The Red Sea Development Company is working in partnership with the Saudi Geological Survey on a project that is considered one of the largest surveys in the Kingdom on the Red Sea coast over the last ten days.

The company, Pagano said, would continue identifying locations of special geological significance, which would enhance the tourism experiences given by the sustainable Red Sea destination in learning about the Arabian Peninsula’s rich natural history.