JEDDAH: Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, chaired a ministerial meeting Tuesday to address the floods in Jeddah and in which he said he would “reveal soon” the names of authorities and persons accused of failings and the measures that would be taken against them. Prince Naif also said he would submit a report to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, detailing the urgent measures taken to alleviate suffering and damage as well as their causes and means of “comprehensively tackling the root of the problem to prevent a repeat occurrence in the future”. The statement came after Prince Naif took a helicopter tour over the city in the company of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, to view the aftermath of last Wednesday's floods. The subsequent ministerial meeting, in which Prince Naif praised the efforts of the public and rescue and aid agencies, produced seven main recommendations which included the establishment of a sub-committee under his supervision and the chairmanship of the Emir of Makkah and composed of the ministers of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Finance, Water and Electricity and Transport, to approve studies on project execution and to oversee the execution of projects. The meeting also recommended that relevant authorities be authorized to urgently set up damage evaluation committees to enable a swift and fair compensation for flood victims, and that they be ready to handle emergency and support the Civil Defense with manpower and materials, and implement procedures to secure immediate aid. The meeting further recommended that the sub-committee should hire international consultancy firms specialized in studies on rain and flood drainage and infrastructure for areas of uncontrolled building and to study remaining sewage works in Jeddah. It recommended that the subsequent plans for rain drainage and flood prevention be put before qualified and globally recognized construction companies. Further recommendations included giving the sub-committee the authority to use the expertise of international specialists and present periodical reports to Prince Naif, and to ask consultants to identify sites vulnerable to floods and address the situation, including the removal of property, and that work begin within one month of identifying sites. – Saudi Gazette/SPACaption: Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, with Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, to his right, aboard a reconnaissance aircraft over Jeddah Tuesday to view the aftermath of last Wednesday's floods. (Okaz photo) __
