“Since the beginning of the catastrophe, the SCTA has been working alongside other government departments to provide assistance to flood victims and support rescue operations,” Prince Sultan told reporters after visiting the coordination committee office for social work.

“We have set up additional centers to receive applications for housing, in coordination with the Civil Defense,” Prince Sultan said. “There was a delay in providing housing due to a dearth of centers to accept applications and the large number of applicants.”

He said the SCTA would make sure the cooperation of hospitality institutions, such as hotels and furnished apartments, in providing temporary housing facilities to the flood victims.

“I am happy to say that we have received good response from their owners,” he added.

Prince Sultan said the SCTA would soon introduce a program to prepare hospitality institutions to deal with such emergencies and crises. “We’ll establish electronic linkage with these institutions to enhance their readiness to deal with crisis situations,” he added.

The SCTA chief was all praise for male and female volunteers who helped people in trouble during and after Wednesday’s devastating floods. “They are doing a great job. I am proud of them,” he said.

Prince Sultan later visited Jeddah’s historic region where three old buildings collapsed as a result of heavy rains. He was accompanied by members of the higher committee for the development of Jeddah’s historical region. He also visited a building where flood victims have been housed.

According to Saleh Kamil, chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the coordination committee has distributed 27,900 relief items, including 8,000 food baskets, among the flood victims with the help of more than 5,000 volunteers. The relief supplies included requirements of children.

Kamil commended the volunteers for their services to the flood victims. “I am really surprised by the presence of a large number of volunteers. They epitomize social and charitable work in the Kingdom,” he said while commending the services of the committee under the leadership of Mazen Batterjee, JCCI vice chairman.

Meanwhile, some Shoura Council members said the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) did not issue any warnings about heavy rains before the Jan. 26 deluge for people and institutions to take precautionary measures.

Abdullah Bukhari, a Shoura Council member, also said there was negligence on the part of the Jeddah municipality in implementing rainwater drainage projects in the city. He said the PME should play an important role in protecting Jeddah’s environment after the floods.

Municipal officials in Jeddah and other cities have been advised to learn from the method adopted by the Royal Commission for Jubail to drain rainwater. The commission has established open canals around the industrial city to drain floodwater during heavy rains.

“The basic drainage network in the city is designed taking into account  heavy rains and floods,” said Ahmed Al-Balawi, director of technical affairs at the commission.