Abstract
Flash flooding in Saudi Arabia, is one of the most devastating hazards in terms of loss of human lives, damage of property assets and disruption to businesses. The paper examines current practices of disaster management, planning, and mapping in Saudi Arabia. Various management and mapping issues are highlighted, aiming at exploring critical points of concern in order to outline an appropriate approach to deal with flash flooding disaster. The main recommendations are: (1) effectively involve local stakeholders and populations in the management process and make use of accumulated community knowledge; (2) develop tools to identify and map areas potentially at risk; (3) ensure data availability of appropriate volume and quality; (4) improve coordination and cooperation among various local institutions; and (5) establish either national or local centers for hazard emergencies entrusted with all required tasks towards effective disaster management and mapping using state of the art technologies.