The government will not compensate owners of flood-damaged vehicles, said Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Saturday. Starting Saturday, storm relief funds will pay for damage to privately-owned buildings and necessary requirements, the minister said. At least 4,000 vehicles are believed to have been totaled by the floods. Payment for flood-damaged houses has been scheduled within a mechanism similar to the one used with Al-Ais residents who were evacuated after fears of volcanic eruptions earlier this years, Al-Assaf added. Female students at flood-hit schools get extra week off At least 11 Quwaizah flood-affected girls schools will remain closed for a week after the end of the holiday break Dec. 5 for maintenance work, announced Abdulkareem Al-Huqail, director of the Makkah Education Department, during his inspection tour Saturday of flood-affected schools in Jeddah. The flood-affected schools in Quwaizah are all housed in rented buildings, except for one in a government building, Al-Huqail said. The school teachers, however, have to report daily to the women's education department office for southeastern Jeddah schools.
