“No school building was damaged in the heavy rains. However, some school compounds were filled with dirt and debris. Efforts are under way to clean these schools and roads,” said Director of Boys Education in Jeddah Abdullah Al-Thaqafi.

He added that classes were suspended as a precautionary measure following advice from the Civil Defense. He added that classes could be suspended in the future in case of rain.

“The department will send text messages or announce in the media if classes are suspended due to unfavorable weather conditions,” he said.

He advised parents not to send their children to schools when there is heavy rain or other dangerous climatic conditions. “We will prioritize the safety of students, even if exams are on,” he added.

Director of the Civil Defense in Jeddah Brig. Abdullah Al-Jeddawi said the suspension of classes on Saturday was a wise decision. “The safety of students is foremost. The decision also helped avoid countless traffic jams that might have occurred particularly when operations are underway to drain water from streets,” he said.

Apart from efforts to drain flooded roads and districts, the municipality has beefed up the spraying of pesticides in the city, both in the morning and evening.