King Khalid University Celebrates International Day for Disaster Reduction 2025 - King Khalid University

His Excellency the President of King Khalid University, Prof. Faleh bin Rajaallah Al-Solami, witnessed the launch of the activities for the International Day for Disaster Reduction 2025 this Monday morning. The event was organized by the University Vice Presidency for Administrative Affairs, represented by the Risk Management and Business Continuity Department, at the University City in Al-Fara’a. The ceremony was attended by the Director General of Civil Defense in the Asir Region, Major General Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Subaihi Al-Zahrani, along with a number of leaders, specialists, and those interested in the field of risk management and disaster reduction.

The event was held under the slogan "It's All About Governance - Act Today for a Resilient Tomorrow," which embodies the importance of enhancing individual and institutional awareness of disaster risks and the role of advance preparedness in protecting lives and property and building more resilient communities in the face of crises.

The ceremony featured an awareness video presentation on the importance of preparation and prior planning to mitigate the effects of disasters, followed by a speech from the Director of Risk Management and Business Continuity, Engineer Abdullah Al-Qahtani. He affirmed that the University is working to promote a culture of risk awareness in cooperation with various entities and raise the level of readiness and response through training programs and safe emergency and evacuation plans.

He pointed to qualitative achievements, notably the preparation of a comprehensive emergency plan for the University, an emergency guide, and special plans to deal with floods, rain, and business continuity, in addition to working on establishing a Crisis and Emergency Room to unify efforts and raise the efficiency of dealing with events. He stressed that enhancing resilience is achieved through collective work and integration among all departments.

The event program included a number of specialized scientific lectures that addressed the axes of awareness, preparedness, and integration in disaster management. Mr. Mohammed Mari Al-Qumash, Risk and Emergency Management Consultant, gave a lecture titled "Disaster Risk Management to Enhance Resilience," where he discussed the importance of adopting a proactive approach in dealing with crises and enhancing the flexibility of institutions in the face of risks. Dr. Saleh Yahya Al-Ghamdi, Supervisor of Local and International Cooperation Management and Consultant to the General Secretariat of the University Endowments, presented a lecture titled "Disaster Reduction is a Societal Responsibility," in which he emphasized the role of institutional and community partnerships in spreading a culture of prevention and mitigating the effects of disasters.

Dr. Rahmah Nasser Jarees, Director of Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Center for Environmental Research and Natural Resource Sustainability, gave a lecture titled "Towards More Resilient Communities Against Natural Fire Risks," focusing on the importance of integration between scientific research and field practices in protecting the environment and society from natural risks.

The event concluded with an open discussion on the participants' visions for enhancing the culture of awareness and prevention, followed by the honoring of the speakers and the announcement of the results of the "Innovate for Protection" competition, which was organized by the Risk Management and Business Continuity Department in cooperation with the Deanship of Student Affairs. The competition involved male and female university students proposing innovative ideas and solutions to enhance university safety and disaster prevention.

His Excellency the University President honored the winners of the competition. In the Innovation of Solutions axis, the winners were: Alaa Sadiq Mahdi, Ahmed Ali Asiri, and Dhafer Abdullah Al-Omari from the College of Engineering, in addition to Rudaynah Abdullah Al-Ziyadi from the College of Applied Medical Sciences. In the Monitoring and Documentation axis, the prize was won by student Tasneem Ahmed Aal Hadi from the College of Engineering.