Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, has ordered that more Saudi engineers should be employed to work alongside international consultants and experts on the city's flood projects. Prince Khaled, who is also Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rainwater and Flood Drainage, which met here, had earlier said that Saudi engineering trainees should also work at the two flood projects of Umm Al-Khair and Al-Samer and the other 12 upcoming projects. There are a total of 14 urgent flood and rainwater drainage projects that have to be completed. Engineer Ahmad Al-Saleem, Director General of the Jeddah Rainwater and Flood Drainage Project, said a number of Saudi engineers joined the project after the initial instructions, and in the next two months the number will be raised to 20. Al-Saleem said the project management has analyzed the offers of nine companies that were invited to bid for the project. The offers complied with specifications and standards set by the project's consultant AECOM. The winning bid for the rest of the projects will be announced in the next few days. The remaining 12 projects include tunnels and bridges in the city. Almabani, the company executing Umm Al-Khair and Al-Samer projects, was awarded the two projects worth SR264 million. The company said it is committed to the 197-day period for completion. It said the Emir inspected the project at the beginning of this month and was briefed on execution dates. On permanent solutions for the city's infrastructure, Al-Saleem said the final study on the most important permanent solutions is being carried out. They include dams, drainage channels, a practical plan for Jeddah's 50 unplanned regions, an environmental plan, a plan for groundwater and wastewater and a study on the roads and transport networks to be constructed. The execution of the final study is to be put out to tender by the end of November. International companies with experience in the field will be competing, he said. AECOM's contract requires it to design and supervise all works aimed at preventing floods from 24 rainwater-collecting sites. This includes dams and barriers at all valleys, drainage channels around the city including unplanned regions, facilities for collecting rainwater from all districts and unplanned regions, and carrying out a study and executing the city's main environmental plan. Other tasks include conducting a study on the Jeddah sewage and wastewater drainage, strategies to execute related projects, and setting up a Crisis and Disaster Management Center in Makkah Province. __
