The city was hit by two separate incidents involving torrential rains and floods in late 2009 and early 2011 that killed more than 130 people.

He said Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is the chairman of the branch executive committee to deal with the damage caused by rains and floods, has ordered 16 logistical support locations to be set up all over the city.

The mayor said the municipality, acting according to the directives of Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Mansour bin Miteb, ensured the areas were asphalted and the municipality supplied them with all necessary tools and manpower to be stationed there around the clock.

He added that other concerned government departments involved in the plan to defend against rains and floods would also mobilize their resources at these locations.

Ali Muhammad Al-Qahtani, the mayoralty's undersecretary for services who is the general supervisor of the plan, said the municipality, drawing on the experiences of previous incidents, has prepared a comprehensive plan to drain the rain waters as quickly as possible.

He said under the plan, water that accumulates at the main intersections would be drained in six hours, while it will be removed from the main roads within 24 hours and dried up from side roads and alleys within 48 hours.

Al-Qahtani said water leaking to remote areas would be drained within 72 hours according to the municipality's plan.

Hisham Abdeen, chairman of the municipality’s rain committee, said the plan has clearly specified the duties and responsibilities of all the concerned government departments, including the police, security patrols, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment, the Civil Defense, the traffic police, the National Water Company, the Ministry of Transport and the Saudi Electricity Company.

He said all heads and staff of these departments will be involved in the implementation of the plan. He added that the municipality has mobilized all its resources including contractors for the execution of the plan.