The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was and still is under scrutiny for many reasons, including its political and economic and religious status, as well as its being the primary reference for oil prices world wide. During the past weeks, the media has focused daily on Saudi Arabia for two main reasons. Firstly, because its armed forces staged a military attack to deter the Houthist insurgents on its southern border with Yemen. Secondly, due to the preparations for the Hajj (pilgrimage) season and the fears of the spread of the swine flu virus among pilgrims, in addition to the Iranian instigation for the pilgrims that preceded the season to carry out demonstrations and raise political slogans during the pilgrimage season. As far as the first reason is concerned, Saudi Arabia managed in a few days to expel the Houthists off its border, cleanse its entire territory and inflict severe damages on the aggressors. It also delivered a strong message to whoever supports the Houthists, to the effect that it is alerted to any subversive attempts that target its territory and it is able to deter every aggressor and irresponsible side. In Holy Mecca, the pilgrims fulfilled their obligations smoothly and easily in light of the available integrated Saudi services. The sides responsible for the pilgrims' security managed to regulate the behavior of the pilgrims in a civilized manner, one that grants Saudi Arabia a new international certificate in how to keep huge crowds under control in a small area. However, grief prevailed in the largest Saudi outlet to the Red Sea, Jeddah. There was a huge calamity. There was a humanitarian tragedy. There was a real catastrophe; floating corpses and cars, drowning bridges and sidewalks due to rain that flooded Jeddah and covered it in 9 hours only. For years, huge budgets have been allocated to address the problem. The solution was always to delay the solution. The solution was to deport the solution. The solution relied on procrastination and not diagnosis of the problem, as there was no accountability or a strict question for those who procrastinate about the reasons behind them not implementing plans that have been adopted for 30 years. On the first end of the rope, perhaps emotions might push someone to make many requests to comfort the consciences of the people whose parents and sons and most valuable things were washed away by the rain with them being unable to do anything. But reality and logic requires from us to demand prompt accountability in an era when the Servant of the Two Holy Shrines King Abdallah Bin Abdul Aziz calls for protecting integrity and combating corruption. The announcement of forming committees to study the problem, comfort the parents of the victims and help the afflicted is a necessity, but this will not solve the problem if there was not an overt accountability for the wrong-doers and disloyal. For instance, the Municipality of Jeddah City should first and foremost be held accountable, and every disloyal employee should be dismissed so he becomes a lesson for others. The officials and parties in question should be questioned, although dismissing (X) or (Y) will not revive the bodies of the dead people, but it is a corrective step towards a correct planning, and towards activating the principle of accountability and transparency and the shouldering of the national responsibility. On the other end of the rope, we should honor the outstanding figures and those who espoused honorable humanitarian positions, at the forefront of whom is the heroism and courage of the Pakistani national who rescued 14 people from drowning after their cars were covered by water on Mecca's old road. He passed away while striving to rescue more victims, thus presenting a heroic example for how humanitarian actions should be. Thus, I call for honoring him and giving his children the Saudi citizenship and taking care of them, as well as naming the street where he rescued 14 people after him. Doesn't the family of such a person deserve concern and attention in this country, instead of him being forgotten and his humanitarian sacrifices going down the drain due to “bureaucracy”? Human and material losses were tragic. Rain made the eyes shed blood and broke hearts, to the extent that “Jeddah the bride” wept at the wedding of the biggest victim celebration. But it is noticeable that no one wants to take responsibility, as though everyone should be acquitted and accusations should be thrown among official sides, overlooking the fact that many cities in the world sleep and wake up on heavy rain, while neither their streets become flooded, nor hundreds of people die. However, the rain of Jeddah alone hurt and made people cry and die in a matter of 9 hours only. What would the case be if this rain lasted for 24 hours non-stop? I believe that those who quickly justified the incident and ruled out the accusations directed at them or their institutions should be primarily called to account, so that we correct the gaps and face the mistakes in the future with courage. Solutions are not reached by consolation and by pushing the problems away without solutions, but rather by determination to accomplish something and avoid repetition, especially since the morgues are overflowed with corpses while there are still tens of missing people. I wish my article today would give the readers words of joy, ones that are filled with the odor of flowers and fragrance. But I am compelled to offer my condolences over the victims of the rain and face the shortcoming of the officials: Who is behind what happened? Is it the rain? Hasn't rain been there for a long time, sharing with the people of Jeddah their occasions and celebrations? It did not come out of the blue, as the Department of Meteorology has warned against this event almost a month ago. Rain was not a strange visitor this time as it had visited Jeddah many times before and then left to the sea where it belongs, sharing the people their celebrations, rather than bringing calamities. Isn't Jeddah a city that sleeps on the sounds of low and high tides and sleeps in the bosom of the sea and drinks from its water and don't its people celebrate it? So how do its people die from rain while it takes the sea as a pillow?! What kind of rain is this that it quickly shook hands with the mermaid, killing many people and destroying many possessions? What kind of city is this that was quickly washed away and overflowed by rain, instead of this rain cleansing the city, leaving behind it joy and pleasure?! What kind of officials are they who were unable to let the rain take its old path whenever it comes, without allowing it to attack someone or result in victims and catastrophes, writing “tragic” scenes on the face of the mermaid of the Red Sea? Should we call it the “grief” of the rain or should we rise up to erase the grief off the faces of those who survived, for the sake of those who passed away?!
