Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal on Monday signed new contracts worth SR1.8 billion to protect East Jeddah districts located between Al-Khamra in the south and Wadi Kura in the north from flash floods.

The total value of the project would reach SR1.89 billion, the prince said.

Studies for East Jeddah residential districts will be ready soon, he said, adding that it would be linked with the comprehensive plan for Jeddah.

“The new flood prevention project envisions Jeddah’s residential expansion and construction boom in the next 15 years,” Prince Khaled said.

The flood-prevention projects in Jeddah have trained 115 young Saudis to supervise future projects, the prince said. “The project’s management is proud of developing standards for its execution,” he added.

Ahmed Al-Saleem, director of Rainwater and Flood Drainage Project in Jeddah, said the new project, including construction of open canals, would serve as a preventive shield for Jeddah from its north to south.

He said the flood-drainage projects for East Jeddah would be ready by the end of 2014.

“As many as 12 national and international companies have been qualified to implement projects aims at finding permanent solution for floods in East Jeddah,” he said.

Al-Saleem said the authorities concerned have gone a long way in designing the general plan for Jeddah’s rainwater drainage systems.