Higher authorities have decided to direct the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing, and the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture to take the necessary measures to protect wadi channels and reefs, prevent land ownership and construction on them, and remove encroachments on them and their tributaries.
The newspaper «Umm al-Qura» reported on the Prime Minister’s decisions regarding the final report of the investigative committee on the disasters caused by the rains in Riyadh several years ago. The decisions included a directive to all government agencies, public institutions, and independent bodies to prohibit the sale of bid documents and specifications to contractors. It was also decided to establish a mechanism through which the Project Coordination Office in city municipalities would be provided with all data regarding underground utility lines managed by six ministries whose projects relate to infrastructure, in electronic format in real time and make it available to all other service providers within a period not exceeding six months.
The decisions also required the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, the Ministry of Transportation and Logistics, and city authorities to intensify oversight of contractors responsible for the implementation, maintenance, and operation of their projects related to stormwater drainage, flood protection, and maintenance of roads and bridges, and to ensure that contractors fulfill all their contractual obligations without negligence or failure, adhere to maintenance schedules as specified, and utilize deep tunneling methods to construct flood drainage lines within cities. The decisions also emphasized that no building permits should be granted in wadis and ravines, and that public utilities should not be extended to buildings located therein.
Measures to protect valley streams and reefs, prevent ownership and construction, and remove encroachments
