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Business and Finance Group - Saudi Arabia : Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, has emphasized the urgent need to find drastic solutions for Jeddah's recurrent and devastating flood problem to prevent a repeat of the Nov. 26 deluge in the future.

"We have to implement the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah (regarding Jeddah floods) ... and find out the causes of this dangerous matter and how to tackle it effectively," Prince Sultan told the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh.

The Cabinet heard a report from Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif on the findings of a ministerial committee meeting in Riyadh on Sunday. Prince Naif said the meeting discussed all aspects of the problem.

Prince Naif is scheduled to visit flood-affected areas in Jeddah on Tuesday to get a first-hand account of the situation there before filing a report to King Abdullah. He will later chair a second meeting of the committee.

Wednesday's deluge, the second largest to hit Jeddah's residential districts in two years, claimed the lives of at least 10 people and injured 114 others while hundreds of vehicles and houses were damaged.

Prince Naif said the committee would find out the individuals responsible for the unprecedented flooding, adding that they would be punished. King Abdullah had earlier warned that negligent officials would be punished severely.

Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet meeting focused on the Jeddah floods and its consequences. It also praised the work of volunteers to alleviate the suffering of flood victims in different parts of the city.

Prince Sultan briefed the Cabinet on the content of King Abdullah's telephone conversations with Morocco's King Muhammad VI, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and US President Barack Obama.

The Cabinet referred to King Abdullah's call to restore peace and stability in Egypt following anti-government demonstrations there.

"Egypt's achievements and capabilities are part and parcel of those of the Arab and Islamic Ummah," the Cabinet said, adding that Egypt should continue to play its leading role in Arab, Islamic and international forums.

The Cabinet appointed Princess Huda bint Muhammad Al-Muqrin educationist and Misbah bint Hamid Al-Tuwairaki as educational adviser at the Ministry of Education. Fouzi bin Ahmed Banan was named minister plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry.

The Cabinet reviewed the outcome of the Saudi-Turkish Joint Commission meeting in Riyadh, saying it would strengthen bilateral ties. Trade between the two OIC countries rose to SR12 billion in 2009.

Speaking about other decisions taken by the Cabinet, Khoja said it approved a memorandum of understanding with New Zealand for scientific and educational cooperation and assigned Al-Assaf to sign an agreement with Jordan for cooperation in customs.

Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza has been assigned to hold talks with the UN Industrial Development Organization to reach an agreement between the two sides. The Cabinet entrusted the Ministry of Social Affairs the task of supervising and licensing private centers to take care of children and conduct social research.