Introduction
Man is fated to see on earth planet natural phenomena which lead to disasters such as earthquakes, volcano eruptions, rain storms, floods, hurricanes etc…. Also building and construction may expose man to other disasters such as collapses, fires, explosions, gas leakage and others. Most of these disasters take place in a short time period but their effects on man’s life and on environment may exist for many years on personal level, inside and outside buildings and city/cities wide.

Natural and man made disasters cause tremendous loss and damage to human beings and assets which lead to economic, health and social problems in many countries regardless of being poor, rich, developed or developing countries. Disasters’ effects are more severe to poor countries who posses limited potentialities, and to developing countries who miss advanced technology and good planning. It is certainly impossible for man to avoid natural disasters but still he can limit their effects and losses.

In order to do so, one has to know the probabilities of disasters’ occurrence, their magnitude and their possible geographical locations. These elements could be realized by making researches and studies necessary for building structural projects capable of enduring such disasters and limiting their effects. Man also needs to make necessary plans and measures and to coordinate between various research, legislative and executive bodies to face disasters and to relieve their effects not only at the same city or country but also on regional and international levels. As for artificial disasters (technical and more commonly industrial ones) man has to exert efforts to avoid them; but if occurred he has to know how to control them, limit their effects and minimize the losses.

The esteemed council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Development decided that the topic needed to hold a symposium under the name of “disasters’ management and safety of buildings in Arab countries” which will deal with disasters and their effects on the Arab countries individually and collectively, the ideal methods of managing them, how to make use of local and international experiences and how to gather efforts and coordinate among Arab countries to cooperate in order to face such disasters which affect not only humans but also national economies.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been entrusted by the said council represented by Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to organize such a symposium in 2008G. -1429H. The symposium will be managed by the Engineering Training Center affiliated to the Central Directorate for Development of Projects at the Ministry’s headquarters on Maather street in Riyadh.
Themes of the Symposium
  1. Natural and artificial disasters and their effects on man, environment and economy: Earthquakes, the after shocks, giant tidal waves (tsunami phenomenon), volcano eruptions, hurricanes, storm waters, land slides, dam crack and collapses, explosions and fires…etc.
  2. Probabilities of disaster occurrence, monitoring them and early alarm: Modern technologies in seismic studies and tsunami phenomena, estimating their magnitudes, recording, early alarm against them and expecting hurricanes and rain storms.
  3. Safety Precautions:
    • Safety precautions against disasters, effects of accidents and poisonous leakages. Preventing artificial disasters. Improving awareness of firms and peopl.
    • Engineering design for new structures. Assessment of old structures for their resistance against extraordinary forces such as earthquakes, winds and explosions.
    • Repair and strengthening affected and collapsible buildings. Rebuilding the infrastructure.
  4. Disaster Management and Limiting their Harms:
    • Role of authorities, emergency plans, providing shelters for survivors of disasters, supplies, food, medical care and logistics in general.
    • Treating the material effects of disasters. Dealing with health and psychological effects of disasters. Providing the needs of care and treatment. Management of human behavior.
  5. Cooperation among Arab Countries for Relief of Disasters’ Effects:
    • o Establishing data bases for disasters and their effects. Exchange databases on regional and international levels.
    • Emergency plans. Future plans. Role of governmental authorities, private firms and civil society in facing the disasters and crises.
RESEARCH REVIEWING & PRIZES
All papers submitted to the symposium will be reviewed by specialized reviewers from all over the Arab world. Financial rewards will be made for reviewers. Rewarding financial prizes are allocated for the best five papers as follows:
  • Financial Prizes in SR:
    1. 1st. prize: SR 30.000 (thirty thousands)
    2. 2nd.prize: SR 25.000 (twenty five thousands)
    3. 3rd. prize: SR 20.ooo (twenty thousands)
    4. 4th. prize: SR 15.000 (fifteen thousands)
    5. 5th. prize: SR 10.000 (ten thousands)
Language of Symposium:
Papers will be in Arabic with an abstract in English. Non-Arab speakers will be allowed to write and speak in English with a written abstract in Arabic.
Abstracts:
Abstracts will be in one page (250-400 words) in one A4 size paper in simplified Arabic 14 letter size to be sent to:

Chairman of the Scientific Committee
Symposium of Disasters’ Management and Safety of Buildings in Arab Countries
Engineering Training Center
Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs

 P.O. Box 56095 Riyadh 11554
Fax: 014073022/014073023 Tel: 014073024
E-mail: disaster_mhgt@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.momra.gov.sa/kawareth
TIMETABLE
Final date for abstracts 7/9/1427H. -30/9/2006G.
Date of approval notification to submit the paper 20/10/1427H. -11/11/2006G.
Final date for receiving the complete paper 1/6/1428H. -16/6/2007G.
Sending the reviewers’ and the scientific committee’s comments to the researchers 00/0/1428H. -00/0/2007H.
Final date to receive the papers after entering the comments 17/9/1428H. -29/9/2007G.
Final call for the symposium and the table of lectures 22/10/1428H. -3/11/2007G.
Final date for early registration  7/3/1429H. -15/3/2008G
Start of registration at the symposium location Friday 20/3/1429 H. -28/3/2008G (6-9 p.m)
Opening session and inauguration of the exhibition Saturday 21/3/1429H. -   29/3/2008  G (6:45 p.m)
Start of the scientific sessions Sunday  22/3/1429H.- 30/3/2008G
. (8:30 a.m)
THE EXHIBITION
The symposium will be accompanied by an exhibition that reflects its various topics. Invitations will be directed to all specialized firms and agencies from Saudi Arabia and from abroad to demonstrate the latest development in the field of disaster management, controlling the safety of buildings, the necessary precautions to avoid artificial disasters and relieving the effects of all types of disasters further to monitoring and surveillance devices.

Parties participating in organizing the symposium:
  1. Ministry of Defence and Aviation-Military Works
  2. Ministry of Interior- Civil Defence
  3. Ministry of Economy and Planning
  4. Ministry of Transportation
  5. King Saud University
  6. King Abdul Aziz University
  7. King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals
  8. King Faisal University
  9. Om Alqora University
  10. Saudi Aramco
  11. Saudi Basic Industries Co. ‘SABIC’
  12. King Abdul Aziz City for Science & Technology(KACST)
  13. Saudi Geological Survey Authority
  14. Saudi Engineers Organization
DEFINITIONS
According to International Civil Defence Organization ‘I.C.D.O.’ a disaster is a serious accident that causes big losses in lives and properties. It maybe natural because of nature such as rain storms, earthquakes, hurricanes…etc., or because of technical reasons caused by man either intentionally or unintentionally, which requires national or international help.
Characteristics of disasters:
  1. Disasters have three main characteristics. These are:
    1. Surprise: this property belongs to almost all unpredictable disasters either in place or time for example natural or technical disasters
    2. Harms: disasters always result in material losses or human losses or both types
    3. Unbalance: they lead to unbalance in the human life systems imposed by the extraordinary event.
  2. Definition of emergency situation:
    • It is the new situation caused by the disaster.
  3. Religious and Social Activities
    1. o Umra and visit to Madina starting the day following the end of the symposium on Wednesday Muharam7th. 1429H.- January16th.,2008G.
    2. o Site seeing in Riyadh archeological, historical and modern places.
 
 
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