Arab News reports that King Abdullah has received the official report on the floods that wracked Jeddah late last year. The report carries recommendations for changes in infrastructure and relocating the residential district of Umm Al-Khair. More recommendations on drainage and dam projects are expected soon.
The report is not a criminal report, however, assaying the responsibility for inadequate drainage and improper real estate permits. That is still to come.
RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah received Friday a detailed report from Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal about the Nov. 25 floods that devastated many Jeddah districts.
Prince Khaled, who is chairman of the committee investigating the reasons behind the catastrophe, presented the report to the king during a function at his ranch in Janadriya.
The governor and his team briefed King Abdullah on the deaths and destruction caused by the floods, with the help of maps. The king also watched a documentary on the floods.
The floods caused the death of 123 people and destroyed 10,785 homes and 10,850 vehicles. Thirty people are still unaccounted for.
“Everybody listened to the directives of King Abdullah and his opinions about the catastrophe,” the Saudi Press Agency said, quoting an official statement.
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March:06:2010 - 12:32
I hope the French authorities will react as well as the Saudi after the deadly floods that occurred one week ago (53 casualties)…
March:07:2010 - 05:00
Arabian geography & weather must present severe challenges to Saudi engineers. But one would think with the vast wealth of the Kingdom that basic infrastructure issues like rainwater drainage wouldn’t be such a problem.
March:07:2010 - 07:10
That’s what people said about Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans! But then, that city is built below sea level. Jeddah is only mostly sea level. Sometimes people don’t remember what can happen or don’t think that something will happen again. It’s always a disaster when they’re wrong.