Saudi Public Prosecution to Investigate Jeddah Floods

Floods in the Jeddah Streets (Adnan Mahdali, Mohammed al-Manae)
Floods in the Jeddah Streets (Adnan Mahdali, Mohammed al-Manae)
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Saudi Public Prosecution to Investigate Jeddah Floods

Floods in the Jeddah Streets (Adnan Mahdali, Mohammed al-Manae)
Floods in the Jeddah Streets (Adnan Mahdali, Mohammed al-Manae)

Saudi Public Prosecution confirmed it will proceed in investigating the reasons behind the flooding of Jeddah streets.

The prosecution issued a statement saying that Saudi Attorney General Saud bin Abdallah al-Mojeb issued directives to the head of the Public Prosecution Branch in the Mecca region and the head of the Department of Jeddah province and all branches and departments in all parts of the Kingdom that the Public Prosecution should be fully ready to proceed with all matters related to any cases associated with the recent flash flooding in Jeddah.

He underlined that all officials should carry out their duty “to the fullest extent with no nepotism, and that they have the power to arrest, investigate and prosecute.”

Mojeb pointed out that the work of the Public Prosecution comes within the framework of its judicial characterization according to its system as it “represents an important pillar of the justice system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, adding that it is supported and continuously followed-up by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the Crown Prince.

The attorney general pointed out that branches of Saudi’s public prosecution should work closely with him to report the results of its work in this regard.

Heavy rain arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday, flooding streets and closing schools and universities in the Saudi city, while navigation was stopped and several air flights delayed.

Jeddah Health Affairs issued a statement saying that it received 29 emergency calls in light of the flooding, eight related to electrocution, one reporting a death case, while the remainder were related to traffic accidents.

Civil defense also issued further flood warnings as rain is expected to continue on Wednesday.

Jeddah Islamic Port also closed as of 8:10 in the morning because of the weather and heavy winds.

The weather monitoring center of King Abdul Aziz International Airport was hit by lightning damaging some equipment, but the center continued its work of sending and receiving weather reports.

Few flights were shortly delayed because of the weather conditions and Saudi Arabian Airlines announced that it will not impose any penalty or additional charges for passengers who missed flights.

Governor of Mecca province and advisor to Saudi King Salman Prince Khalid Al Faisal checked the roads and urban areas.

Saudi National Centre for Security Operations at the Interior Ministry received 10,902 calls by "911" operations in Mecca mostly to inquire about the condition of roads and streets that could be used for traffic or report accidents.

Control and Guidance Centers of the Civil Defense received 1989 reports from several Saudi cities with a total of 481 rescued, ten families evacuated, and 41 vehicles towed away.

Center for Crisis and Disaster Management in the Mecca warned locals against heading to valleys and flood-prone areas due to the heavy rains. It reported that a number of main roads and tunnels in Jeddah were temporarily closed for safety reasons. The tunnels that were temporarily closed included one on Palestine Road and Prince Majed Street, Hira Street and Prince Majed Street, and others.

Education officials in issued a statement suspending schools in the area, as well as King Abdulaziz University and all its branches.

The General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection said that rain levels on Tuesday morning recorded between 25mm and 35mm. It warned that these weather conditions will continue till Wednesday morning.



Saudi Arabia Pursues Efforts to Quell Sudan Crisis

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Pursues Efforts to Quell Sudan Crisis

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji at the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan (SPA)

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji reaffirmed the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to resolve the Sudanese crisis. He expressed Saudi Arabia’s openness to international initiatives aimed at bringing peace to Sudan.
At the Second Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan, held in Djibouti, Al-Khuraiji discussed the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to resolve the Sudanese crisis.
He mentioned that Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the United States, facilitated talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, leading to the Jeddah Declaration on May 11, 2023, which aimed to protect civilians.
Al-Khuraiji also noted the continuation of talks with the involvement of the African Union and IGAD, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s support for African-led solutions.
He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to restoring stability in Sudan and urged all parties to act with wisdom, show restraint, and support positive initiatives.
Al-Khuraiji also met with EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, on the sidelines of the consultative meeting.
In separate meetings, he also met with the UN Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, and US Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello.
During these meetings, they reviewed the latest developments in Sudan, explored ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, and discussed topics of mutual interest.
The Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum) expressed support for international and regional meetings, hoping they would bring positive results to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.
They urged the need that discussions focus on ensuring humanitarian aid reaches those in need, protecting civilians, and achieving an immediate ceasefire.
Taqaddum highlighted the importance of international legal frameworks for civilian protection and safe passageways during the conflict.
They called on international and regional partners to quickly bring both sides back to negotiations, build on the Jeddah agreements, and secure a binding ceasefire with effective monitoring.
Taqaddum also stressed the need for a unified negotiation platform to achieve peace.