Urban Sprawl in Wadi Goss Watershed (Jeddah City/Western Saudi Arabia) and Its Impact on Vulnerability and Flood Hazards

Today, climate change imposes enormous challenges on a global scale. The interactions of the balances between the need for development, population growth, massive urbanization generate a negative impact on the presence of these climate changes. One of the direct consequences of these changes is the phenomenon of flash floods, a phenomenon that hit the city of Jeddah (city located in west of Saudi Arabia) twice, one in 2009 and the other in 2011, causing significant human and material damage. Floods are considered as a direct result of the combination of extreme weather and hydrological phenomena;in most cases, the magnitude of these floods is magnified by anthropogenic factors, which increases the risk. According to the risk triangle, risk is defined as a probabilistic function that depends on three essential elements: exposure, vulnerability and hazard. If any of these three elements undergo growth the risk also does so and vice versa. Exposure and vulnerability will depend on the presence of human activities in the study area. This study is conducted on the Wadi Goss watershed as it was one of the most violent basins during the 2009 and 2011 floods. Indeed, we present in this study the extent of the urban extension in the Wadi Goss watershed, since 1984 to days and this by the using Landsat images. Given the nature of the study area, we present a method based on the calculation of various indices followed by a classification operation in order to define the urbanized zones inside the Wadi Goss watershed and then estimate the urban sprawl inside the watershed. We also present in this paper, the characteristics of the watershed as well as the evolution of the urbanized areas exposed to the phenomenon of floods and their contribution to the changes of the hydrological behavior of the basin, and to increase the evolution of the risk of the floods. We have shown through this study that the urban footprint has increased from 90 hectares in 1985 to 850 hectares in 2015. This urban footprint represents 12% of the total area of the watershed. Most of the urban evolution was operated on the wadi area with a concentration in the western part of the basin and especially at its outlet.

A GIS-Based Decision Support System for Reducing Air Ambulance Response Times: A Case Study on Public Schools in Jeddah City

In injuries reducing ambulance response time (time from injury to hospital arrival) is an important factor for saving people’s lives. Helicopter emergency medical services can reduce out-of-hospital transport times because of their high speed and their ability to travel in straight paths?unlike ground ambulance which are restricted to road network paths, as well as the ability toaccess rural or remote area injuries that are difficult to reach by ground ambulance. GIS technology aids air ambulance movement planning to reduce out-of-hospital response time based on mathematical and geographic models to support decision making which is necessary from out-of-hospital care providers. The goal of this study is to use GIS to develop an efficient DSS to outline where air ambulance can reduce response times, by using spatial analysis tools to create Euclidean distance and direction zones around receiving hospitals. The study concludes that GIS technology can be used to develop an efficient DSS to outline where air ambulance can reduce response times, by creating surfaces of Euclidean allocation, direction, and distance that can be used to improve initial response times for the civil defense air rescue and air ambulance services.

Analytical Hierarchy (AHP) Process Method for Environmental Hazard Mapping for Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia

The city of Jeddah, the second major city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), was severely damaged on November 25, 2009. A deadly and costly flash flood, which can be exacerbated in arid environments, occurred when more than 90 millimetres (3.5 inches) of rain fell in just four hours. A national disaster was declared. This extreme disaster has been a catalyst for attempts to advance our understanding of flash flood events and how to appropriately respond to their destructive nature. One-hundred and twenty people were killed, around 350 others were reported missing and approximately four billion Saudi riyals (one billion US dollars) of damage was caused. Considered to be one of the great of Saudi’s cities, Jeddah is the economic capital of the country. It is the largest coastal town on the west coast, with a population of about 5.1 million and an estimated area of 5460 square kilometres. Based on its rapid urbanisation and population growth, a function of a multitude of parameters, a multi-criterion analysis using AHP and GIS was performed to comprehensively evaluate the environmental quality of the different municipal wards affected by Jeddah’s flash floods. This research presents an analysis of the different factors that caused these flash flood events. The results indicate that the causes of these floods are related to a number of factors that significantly contribute to the worsening of flood disasters.

Rock Slope Stability Problems in Wadi Quaz-Dam Site No. 2, Jeddah-Saudi Arabia

The present investigation deals with the engineering geological studies of soil and rock masses in the Wadi Quaz area-Dam No. 2, East of Jeddah. Wadi Quaz area-Dam No. 2, East of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia often faces floods during rainy seasons, so it is so urgent to investigate the area before building any dam or preventing water from flow. Preventing water from flow will produce new dangerous factors such as uplift force which may cause the dam failure. To have a better understanding of the factors that may affect the slope stability, many rock slope locations are observed in detail to assess the effect of discontinuities formed in the rock masses. Fieldwork and Laboratory tests were carried out on soil and rocks. Soils included identification of soil type using unified soil classification system, permeability, water content and field density were done for soils. Rocks include identification of physical and mechanical properties such as: rock type, degree of weathering, rock strength, RQD, joint spacing measurements, and geometric properties (Dip, and Dip direction). Different methods were used to evaluate the potential failure in the studied area depending on rock mass rating and slope stability analysis. The well-known classification of rock masses titled Rock Mass Rating system [1] was used for categorizing the rock masses in the studied area besides slope mass rating [2] which would help to estimate the rock stability. The kinematical analysis was applied to investigate the potential failure mode which might occur in the dam abutments. This paper will provide the stability of dam abutments in both summer season and winter season besides general estimation of the seepage problems related to the soil and according to its permeability.

Incidence of Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria in Jeddah's Ministry of Health Hospitals, Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to determine the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria in Jeddah Ministry of Health hospitals. Sixteen month follow-up (January 2010 to April 2011) study was carried out and clinical isolates of hospitalized patients were collected, identified and their antimicrobial resistance was determined using two automated systems, Phoenix and Vitek 2. Results revealed that 6195 isolates were identified of which 94% (5846/6195) were Gram negatives. In Escherichia coli, the resistance was 40% (681/1703) to ciprofloxacin, 30% (511/1703) to cefepime, 29% (494/1703) to ceftazidime, 8.5% (145/1703) to tazocin and amikacin, 40% (681/1703) to gentamicin and cefuroxime. In Klebsiella pneumonia, the resistance was 48% (550/1147) to ceftazidime, 49% (565/1147) to cefuroxime, 45.5% (522/1147) to cefepime, 38% (436/1147) to gentamicin, 30% (344/1147) to ciprofloxacin, 19% (218/1147) to tazocin, 7.5% (86/1147) to amikacin and 2.4% (27/1147) to imipenem/meropenem. In Acinetobacter bumannii, 79% (850/1076) were resistant to ciprofloxacin, 68.5% (737/1076) to tazocin, 67% (721/1076) to cefepime, 66% (710/1076) to gentamicin and imipenem/meropenem, 65% (699/1076) to ceftazidime, 68% (735/1076) to amikacin and no resistance to colistin was reported. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, almost 34% (555/1632) were resistant to ceftazidime, 31% (506/1632) to ciprofloxacin, 29% (473/1632) to cefepime, 26.5% (434/1638) to gentamicin, 19% (310/1632) to imipenem/meropenem, 17% (277/1632) to amikacin, and 15.5% (253/1632) were resistant to tazocin. In Gram positive isolates, MRSA counted only for 4.6% (302/6552) and no vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) were detected. In conclusion, the resistance detected in this study is considered high and antibiotic Stewardship Programs is inevitably required.

Diagnostic Study of a Severe Thunderstorm over Jeddah

Several aspects of the interaction between midlatitude and subtropical systems are investigated using a case study and a potential vorticity (PV) framework. Our case study occurred on 25 November 2009;Jeddah and other regions in Western Saudi Arabia were hit by heavy rainstorms. The analysis of absolute, relative, and potential vorticity implies the significance of the lower level dynamics in the initiation of this case of cyclogenesis. The impact of the severe convective weather process caused more than 90 millimeters of rain to fall in Jeddah in just four hours. The analysis indicates that the heavy rainfall was due to the existence of an upper level cold trough in the Eastern Mediterranean and a warm blocking high situated over southeasternSaudi Arabiaand theArabian Sea. In addition, an evident low level shear line set up in the northwest of Jeddah, and the southeast movement of the shear line caused dynamic lifting and unstable energy release over Jeddah. The water vapor transport occurred primarily below 700 hPa, and a low level jet transported the water vapor from the Red Sea to centralSaudi Arabia. Furthermore, the blocking high in southernSaudi Arabiawas favorable for maintaining water vapor passage for a long time. The topography of Jeddah also played a role in the enhancement of convection.

Radar Rainfall Estimation of a Severe Thunderstorm over Jeddah

The regular occurrence of flash floods over the region of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the past decade has highlighted the serious need for the development of early warning systems. Radar stations have been installed in Jeddah in the last decade whose active radius covers the Middle Western area of the country. Therefore, radar information and the associated the rainfall estimates are potentially useful components of an effective early warning system. Weather radar can potentially provide high-resolution spatial and temporal rainfall estimates that bring more accuracy to flood warnings as well as having applications in areas with insufficient rainfall stations coverage. Weather radar does not measure rainfall depth directly. An empirical relationship between reflectivity (Z) and rainfall rate (R), called the Z-R relationship (Z = ARb), is generally used to assess the rainfall depth. In this study, the rainfall events during August-September 2007 were analyzed to develop a Z-R relationship using the Spatial Probability Technique (SPT). This technique is based on a basic GIS function and the probability matching method. Using this technique, the Z-R pairs can be analyzed for both linear and empirical power relationships. It is found that the empirical power function is more appropriate to describe Z-R relationship than a linear function for the studied area. The method is applied with some success to the flooding event of November 25, 2009. However, the investigation of the Z-R relationship is only one step in the development of a warning system;further study of other parameters relevant to rainfall and flash flood occurrence is needed.

Mesoscale Numerical Study of Quasi-Stationary Convective System over Jeddah in November 2009

25 November 2009 is an unforgettable day for the people in Jeddah, the second largest city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). On that day, Jeddah turned into a disaster zone following a short heavy rainfall event that triggered flash floods leaving 122 fatalities and considerable losses. Numerical experiments using the Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric research mesoscale meteorological model (MM5) have been performed to investigate the event. It was caused by a short quasi-stationary mesoscale convective system that developed over Jeddah and lasted for about 8 hours. Rainfall totals computed by the model exceeded 400 mmin some localities in the southern part of Jeddah city and to the north of Jeddah in Thuwal city. The limited available observed rainfall totals, atKingAbdulAzizInternationalAirportand wadiQaws rain gauges, and Jeddah’s weather radar observations corroborates the ability of the model to reproduce the spatial and temporal characteristics of the rainfall event. A synoptic environment characterized by warmRed Seasurface temperatures and high humidity in the low levels of the troposphere. A stationary anticyclone centered over the southeast of theArabian Peninsulaconcentrated the water vapour flow to a narrow passage over Jeddah. Simulation results suggested that the development of a mesolow by latent heat release, as well as cyclogenesis induced by Al Hejaz escarpments, could have played an important role in enhancing the event by providing low-level convergence and enhanced upslope winds, and upper level atmospheric instability.

Development of a GIS Based Public Transport Composite Social Need Index in Jeddah

Provision of public transport is critical for all social groups with high need. The provision of effective public transport system in Jeddah is at the top priorities of the national, regional and local plans. This paper attempts to develop a public transport composite social need index in Jeddah using GIS. Population density, car ownership, family size and income level indicators were considered for identifying the social need in Jeddah. Results indicate that Jeddah is in high social need for public transport and the provision of an efficient public transport is crucial for the city. The composite social need index has shown both dispersed and clustered patterns of high need for public transport in Jeddah. The results of this study facilitate the identification of the high social need for public transport in Jeddah. Further studies are highly recommended to include other social need indictors in Jeddah city.

Conception and Implementation of Geographical Database for Cultural Heritage Management—Case of Historical Jeddah, KSA

Saudi Arabia is attempting to develop a long-term tourism business that respects Islamic ideals, heritage, and traditions. In accordance with the “Vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2030”, significant emphasis has been placed on developing and promoting cultural tourism as a result of the Kingdom’s very valuable civilizational and cultural heritage, in addition to entertainment and improving the quality of life. The city of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s second capital, and the district known as “Al-Balad”, which is located in the city’s core, is a historical neighborhood known for its old structures and multi-story houses. Since 1947, the historical monuments in the Al-Balad region have faced major and challenging issues as a result of neglect and a failure to maintain them. To protect this historical architectural heritage, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated Jeddah’s historic area as a World Heritage Site. The purpose of this research is to identify historical sites in the city of Al-Balad using existing maps, field surveys, and the design and creation of a spatial database that can be used with geographic information systems (GIS). By combining the results of the spatial database and photographic surveys with the history of Old Jeddah, an application was created and made available to users and those interested in the Internet that can be used through mobile devices (mobile phones and tablets) to introduce the historical area of Jeddah and promote tourism in Old Jeddah.

吉达(JEDDAH)港简介

JEDDAH港是红海内沙特阿拉伯重要的港口之一,水文、气象、底质及通航环境复杂,许多货轮多次挂靠此港进行货物装卸或者加油。文章重点阐述了该港的水文气象、地理条件、进出航道的航行方法和注意事项。

Urban Heritage in the Arabian Peninsula, the Experiences of Jeddah and Dubai

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates feature ultra-modern cities with millions of residents that developed in opposition to the physical patterns of traditional historical settlements.In the past years,however,there has been a renewed attention to urban heritage and two metropolises,Jeddah and Dubai,have decided to aim for World Heritage status and to leverage historic city centres as engines of economic development and tools for the reinforcement of national identity.In Dubai,the conservation and reconstruction of historic neighbourhoods gives residents an urban historic depth previously unrecognised,favouring the integration of different ethnic communities while contributing to the tourist development of the Emirate.In Jeddah,the preservation and revitalisation of the historic centre is part of a larger strategy focusing on the reinforcement of the private sector to trigger new urban dynamics building upon its rich heritage.Recent strategies and plans are briefly discussed,underlining the specificities of the Arabian Peninsula context and its complex and evolving relationship with history and heritage.It is argued that the nominations for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List have been a catalyser for the definition of new planning and conservation policies integrating urban heritage into urban development strategies.

Seismicity and Seismotectonics of Jeddah-Makkah Region, West-Central Saudi Arabia

Jeddah-Makkah regionis have been suffering from earthquake crisis where some moderate to destructive earthquakes have been recorded. These earthquake activities are oriented along major faults or clustered in certain spots. Moreover, these earthquake events have annual recurrence periods, so the identification of these seismogenic source zones is of utmost importance for mapping the most hazardous localities which should be avoided in the future urban planning. Historical and instrumental earthquakes have been collected from national and international data centers and unified in catalogue. The existence of microearthquakes inland suggests that there is a significant level of tectonic activity at away from the axial trough of the Red Sea. Then, seismogenic source zones have been defined depending on the major tectonic trends; distribution of earthquake epicenters, seismicity rate（a ＆ b- values） and fault plane solution of major earthquakes. It is concluded that Jeddah-Makkah region is affected by the outlined five seismogenic source zones; three of these zones aligned of the main Red Sea axial trough（southwestern Jeddah, western Jeddah, and northwestern Jeddah zones）, while the other two zones are located in the land area of the region（Thewal-Rabegh and Jeddah-Makkah zones）. These inland zones correlated well with the main trends of major tectonics which refleet the reactivation of tectonic movements along these fault trends. The Red Sea zones are in agreement with the main path of the axial trough. The range of b-value in these identified zones is 0.65 to 1.03 through these identified zones. The area characterized by higher b-values could be indicative of a relative low stress regime which was a result of resulting from the stress release by the earthquakes. Whereas, the areas of lower b-values can be considered as an evidence of a relatively higher stress regime associated with a dominantly extensional stresses. Based on aforementioned, the region is suffering from different stress level accumulations which, in turn, cause earthquakes with different magnitudes. Accordingly, deployment of local seismograph network through Jeddah-Makkah region is highly recommended. These results will support, to a great extent, seismic hazard assessment and risk mitigation of the region.

Obstetric Outcomes in Advanced Maternal Age among Women at King Abdulaziz University Hospital

Background: Advanced maternal age, over 35 years, is a well-known risk factor for poor pregnancy outcomes. It is commonly associated with various pregnancy complications, such as spontaneous miscarriage, preeclampsia/ toxemia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm labor, stillbirth, chromosomal abnormalities, and cesarean delivery. Objectives: This study assessed obstetric and neonatal complications associated with advanced maternal age. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 199 pregnant women over 35 years old at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from January to June 2022. We gathered data on age, nationality, number of antenatal visits, results of ultrasound scans for dating and viability, nuchal translucency and anatomy surveys, medications and multivitamins taken during pregnancy, smoking status, pregnancy, and fetal complications, and mode of delivery. Results: The prevalence of obstetric complications was 71.4% (preeclampsia/toxemia, 4.5%;antepartum hemorrhage, 4%;postpartum hemorrhage, 1%;and gestational diabetes, 23.1%). The most frequent complication was preterm labor between 34 and 36 weeks (48%), and only 12.6% of all deliveries were associated with fetal and neonatal complications such as congenital anomalies and neonatal jaundice. The prevalence of anemia during pregnancy was 10.1%, 21.1%, and 28.6% in the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively, and pregnancies complicated with antepartum or postpartum hemorrhage were associated with higher rates of anemia in the second trimester. A significant relationship was found between mean maternal age (38.84 ± 2.75 years) and the development of maternal complications (p < 0.05). Newborns with neonatal complications were much more likely to be born to mothers with a history of antepartum hemorrhage and anemia in the second trimester. Conclusion: Our findings confirm that pregnancy at an advanced maternal age is associated with increased overall maternal complications. The most frequent complication was preterm labor (48%). Other complications, such as preeclampsia/toxemia, antepartum hemorrhage, postpartum hemorrhage, gestational diabetes, and anemia, were less frequent in the sample we reviewed.

The Role of Atmospheric Pressure, Temperature, and Humidity on Cosmic Ray Muons at a Low Latitude Station

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between atmospheric conditions and cosmic ray (CR) muons using daily and monthly CR data collected by the KAAU muon detector in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between 2007 and 2012. Specifically, the study examined the effects of atmospheric pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity on CR muons at different time scales (annual, seasonal, and monthly). The results of the analysis revealed that atmospheric pressure and air temperature had a negative impact on CR muons, while relative humidity had a positive impact. Although air temperature and relative humidity had small mean values across all time scales, their coefficients varied significantly from month to month and season to season. In addition, the study conducted multivariable correlation analyses for each day, which showed that pressure coefficients had consistently negative mean values, while the temperature and humidity coefficients had varying effects, ranging from positive to negative values. The reasons for the variations in the coefficients are not yet fully understood, but the study proposed several possible terrestrial and extraterrestrial explanations. These findings provide important insights into the complex interactions between the Earth’s atmosphere and cosmic rays, which can contribute to a better understanding of the potential impacts of cosmic rays on the Earth’s climate and environment.

Solar Forcing on Makkah AI-Mukaramah Flash Floods

Severe solar events manifested by highly energetic X-Ray events accompanied by coronal mass ejections and proton flares caused flash floods in Makkah AI-Mukaramab, A1-Madinah AI-Munawarah and Jeddah. The responses can be prompt, delayed or prompt-delayed, suggesting that the protons entered the troposphere either through the opening of a direct gate in the magnetosphere to the location concer.led due to magnetic reconnection, through the polar gates or through those two paths respectively. The authors suggest that there is a magnetic anomaly in Makkah AI-Mukaramah area which makes it liable to be subjected to flash floods. The width of the solar streams determines the width of the gate opened in the magnetosphere via magnetic reconnection and thus narrow streams affect only one location of the three cities while extended width streams can cause flash floods in all of Makkah AI-Mukaramah AI-Madinah AI Munawarah and Jeddah. In addition, the November 24-26 Jeddah flash flood could be attributed to a prompt event due to a moderately fast solar stream that arrived the earth on those days.

Understanding the Traditional Saudi Built Environment: The Phenomenon of Dynamic Core Concept and Forms

This study examines the traditional Saudi built environment and culture to uncover its rich architecture and to propose a new way of thinking about how to comprehend and value the past while also rebalancing the Kingdom’s future architectural identity. In that sense, the primary objective of this study is to examine the Core Concepts and Forms of traditional architecture, as well as their cultural connotations, in three regions of Saudi Arabia: the central, eastern, and western regions. Non-participant observation, ethnographic, and descriptive approaches were used in the study, which was based on a multi-dimensional comparative observational model. It was determined that the traditional Saudi built environment relied on forty Core Concepts and Forms that were divided into four categories: constant, semi-constant, semi-flexible, and flexible core forms to regulate the production process and maintain its continuity over centuries.

沙特阿拉伯吉达东北部地质构造与蚀变信息提取及找矿有利部位预测

沙特阿拉伯吉达东北部地区位于非洲—阿拉伯成矿区,矿产丰富,地质构造情况复杂,岩浆热液活动明显,多金属成矿作用极为发育,成矿潜力巨大。为进一步寻找该地区多金属矿床的成矿部位,圈定找矿远景区,利用Landsat8影像对该区进行线性-环形构造解译,运用“主成分分析-最优密度分割”方法提取铁化等矿化蚀变遥感异常信息;综合分析区内7个铁化蚀变区遥感影像的地质特征并筛选有利于成矿的线性-环形构造,基于上述特征对沙特吉达东北部地区成矿有利部位进行预测,圈定出3个找矿远景区;最后通过高分二号(GF-2)和GoogleEarth等高空间分辨率遥感影像对所圈定的找矿远景区进行了验证,进一步证明岩浆侵入的环形构造区及断裂交汇处是该区成矿的有利场所。研究成果可为该地区进一步找矿预测提供参考依据。

19世纪吉达港口贸易:发展与转型

19世纪,在经济全球化背景下,吉达作为希贾兹地区首要出海通道,是海洋贸易不可或缺的组成部分,依托麦加、麦地那的宗教属性推动朝觐贸易形成庞大的贸易消费市场。地缘优势与资源匮乏劣势以及西方贸易扩张促使外来商品流通,形成本地、区域性、国际性贸易市场。西方世界贸易的扩张、政府垄断、宗教朝觐影响着吉达港口贸易,其经历了由封闭到依赖性开放、从单一至多元的转型。

吉达传统建筑凸窗与玻璃窗的采光分析对比

本文研究了木质凸窗(Roshan)对沙特阿拉伯王国吉达老城传统住宅建筑采光性能的影响,旨在探讨在传统建筑中运用传统遮阳元素--木制凸窗的优势。评估建筑物性能的有效方法之一是使用物理模型或计算机模型模拟,因此,本文将利用Autodesk Ecotect软件,模拟吉达的一个虚拟居住空间,然后对其在不同场景下的采光系数进行评估,并将其与当代玻璃窗进行比较。