Taif municipal officials have come under fire for allegedly preparing poorly for the recent heavy rains that resulted in the death of at least five people and significant damage to infrastructure and property.

Spokesman of Taif Municipality Ismail Ibrahim defended the municipality's preparations and said the region has an adequate storm water drainage system. "The amount of rain in the region was unexpected. It needed some time for it to be discharged through the network," he said.

However, spokesman of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME), Hussain Al-Qahtani, said the authorities in Taif were notified ahead of time about the expected heavy rain. "There was enough time for all parties concerned to take precautionary measures," he said.

Legal experts said citizens could sue the municipality for granting them building permits close to the banks of watercourses in valleys.

A number of affected citizens said that drain openings were stacked with garbage or rubble. Yasser Al-Thubaiti, a resident, said: "Some of the projects do not comply with specifications and requirements needed to drain away flood- and rainwater."

He said the meteorology departments of neighboring and other international countries had issued warnings about the heavy rainfall, but not the municipality. He also accused other government bodies in the region of not doing enough to prepare for the inclement weather.

Another citizen said that seven locations set aside for the construction of buildings have been spotted on watercourses in Taif valleys. This confirmed the poor planning of the authorities, he charged.

Technical committees of the Ministry of Transport in the region had spotted a number of closed watercourses and spillways and asked property owners to open them so that floodwaters could be diverted away from inhabited areas.

Saleh bin Saad Al-Lehaidan, a private attorney, said all building approval processes in Taif, Riyadh, Buraidah, Makkah, Dammam and Abha need comprehensive restructuring.

"If a major flood sweeps through Taif, it will take the whole city with it," he said. He added that a higher committee should be formed to review all land deeds and building plans.