Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), launched on Tuesday the Geological Risk Base Platform, the first digital scientific platform aimed to educate the community about hazards in terms of natural calamities.

The portal will make available important seismic data that serves the community, in addition to expediting the activation of agreements and requests that the authority implements such as studies and seismic risk assessment in various locations.

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SGS Bandar Alkhorayef launched the platform. The launching ceremony was held on the sidelines of the 44th meeting of the authority’s Board of Directors.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs Eng. Khalid Al-Mudayfer, CEO of SGS Eng. Abdullah Al-Shamrani, members of the board of directors, and a number of SGS senior officials.

Tariq Aba Al-Khail, spokesman of SGS, said that the aim of launching the new platform is to make seismic data available as a “digital electronic page that includes all information related to seismic data and maps in and around Saudi Arabia.” He said that the platform will contribute to providing technical solutions to prevent potential risks in the future and will support studies to improve infrastructure solutions. The platform would contain a lot of seismic data that will help support research and spread a culture with regard to geological hazards.

Aba Al-Khail pointed out that the geological hazards platform is the first digital scientific platform that educates seismic hazards in Saudi Arabia. “The platform enables the user to examine seismic activity data everywhere, and also allows him to view relevant data and maps, apart from getting access to information easily. It also enables researchers and specialists to request this data and use it in scientific research studies,” he added.