Announcing the winner of the contract on Saturday, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said AECOM would offer all consultancy services for the management of the project starting from the preliminary engineering works and supervision of the emergency and long-term solutions against natural disasters.

The contract worth SR642.71 million is to be completed in three years. The short-term solutions have to be implemented over six months and long-term solutions should be assigned with in five months to the companies executing them.

The tasks to be undertaken by AECOM include building check dams and barriers; constructing drainage canals and rainwater reservoirs; resolving 12 of Jeddah’s most vulnerable flood points; drawing up comprehensive studies for undeveloped areas, including environmental plans for the entire Jeddah governorate; preparing comprehensive studies and strategies to solve the sewerage problems in Jeddah; and establishing a disaster-management center for Makkah province.

The contract signing event at the prince’s office was attended by Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed, Director General of the project Ahmad Al-Suleim, AECOM Chief Executive Mazen Matar, Chief Executive of AECOM Middle East David Barwell and Chief Executive of the AECOM Global Services James Thomson.

“The project receives special attention from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, and Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif,” said Prince Khaled, who is also head of the subcommittee for rain and flood drainage and infrastructure development in Jeddah.

Regarding the selection process of the companies for the work, the prince said the subcommittee selected 11 of the world’s leading companies specialized in the water and flood management and infrastructure development and invited them to offer their bids for the work.  “We are racing against time to complete the short-term solutions before the next rainy season sets in and start the long-term solutions,” the prince said.

In another development, the municipality completed the drainage of 10 million cubic meters of water gathered around the reserve dam in East Jeddah following rains in recent months.

The water has been pumped from the reserve dam to a seven-kilometer long canal leading to the Al-Samir check dam, an official of the municipality told Arab News.

It was also reported that the Saudi Geological Survey did not approve the way the reserve dam was built in 2005, alleging that its foundation was not strong enough.