This morning, His Excellency the President of Umm Al-Qura University, Prof. Abdullah Bafail, inaugurated the "Flood Risk Management in the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region" workshop in which nine scientific papers were presented and discussed. The workshop was organized by the Safety, Risk, and Crisis Management Center (SAFE) at the Institute of Consulting Research and Studies, in the presence of UQU Vice President for Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Hani Ghazi, and the General Director of Civil Defense in the Makkah Region, Major General Salim Al-Matrafi, in the King Abdul-Aziz Hall in Al-Abdiyyah.

Dr. Ali Al-Sha`iri, the Dean of the Institute of Research and Consulting Studies, pointed out that the workshop is considered the flagship activity of the SAFE Center, within the scope of cooperation and partnership with other sectors, to discuss ways of dealing with real challenges, and providing support to the decision makers at SAFE. He pointed out that the initiative to establish the SAFE Center comes from Umm Al-Qura University's belief in the importance of risk management, ensure sustainability of development, and achieve the goals of the National Transformation Plan 2020 the Saudi Vision 2030.

The General Director of Civil Defense in the Makkah Region, Major General Salim Al-Matrafi, pointed out the significant role played by UQU in studying the causes of flood disasters, and providing scientific studies and solutions to contribute to the reduction of flood risks. He added that the workshop comes at the appropriate time to develop radical solutions to reduce the causes of floods, and take precautions against any risks that may cause human and environmental disasters in the future.

The first session discussed a number of research papers that focused on risks and crises resulting from floods and their impact on the region, and management of these risks through study, planning and implementation. This is in addition to the identification of flood hazards through the use of remote sensing technology and geographic information systems, as well as the use of geological studies and hydrological modeling to analyze the causes of floods and reduce the dangers to residential areas.

The second session reviewed the engineering, technological, and administrative solutions and proposals to reduce the risks and crisis resulting from floods. It also examined the vision towards effective management in combating flood crises through the utilization of modern technology commensurate with the urban planning of cities on the west coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The third session tackled the role of change in dealing with risks and crises resulting from floods, through the implementation of certain system for management of crisis risks and decision support. The session also discussed the activation of the role of social responsibility and strategic partnerships through programs for qualification and training of the civil society to upgrade the level of readiness to combat the risks of floods and disasters in Makkah Al-Mukarramah.