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This study explores the emergency planning requirements for managing disasters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It adopts an interpretivist paradigm, an inductive approach, a descriptive survey, and qualitative methods. Methods included a literature review and semi-structured interviews with 13 experts from the KSA General Directorate of Civil Defence (GDCD), with data analyzed using content analysis. The findings identify key emergency planning requirements: administrative elements, including regulations and legislation; technical resources, such as equipment; human resources, including staff and responders; risk identification, analysis, and evaluation; clear task and responsibility allocation among agencies and stakeholders; qualified leadership; defined chain of command at national and local levels; stakeholder coordination and cooperation; knowledge from local and international experiences; an updated database; sufficient financial resources; completed infrastructure; and enhanced training and practice.

Although many requirements are in place, the study highlights the need for improvement in understanding, knowledge, and awareness to further develop emergency planning in KSA. It recommends that all emergency planning requirements identified in this study should be implemented simultaneously and as an integrated whole. By doing so, it could help decision makers and emergency planners at government emergency agencies to improve, develop, and reinforce emergency planning, specifically in reducing disaster risks.