Water resources

Water has always been a scarce and extremely valuable resource in Saudi Arabia. Urban life, industry and, above all, agriculture consume far more water than traditional life in the deserts and towns ever required, and the country has utilized its water resources in diverse ways to support its development. As a result of agricultural, urban and industrial growth, the country's demand for water has been increasing steadily. Irrigation consumes the largest amount of water in the Kingdom.

Beginning in 1985, Saudi Arabia focused on ways to economize and regulate the use of water through the National Water Plan. The plan provides for conservation, greater coordination between agriculture and water policies, intensive use of reclaimed waste and surface water, and better coordination of supply and distribution. In September 2002, a new Ministry of Water was formed, gathering together a number of government departments concerned with water. In April 2003, the electricity sector was added to the ministry.

Deep under the surface of Saudi Arabia, extensive reservoirs of water are stored in the rock. These aquifers, or water-bearing layers of sedimentary rock, constitute the country's major source of water. The government has drilled many deep wells throughout much of the desert to supply the Bedouins and numerous agricultural wells in the more fertile valleys.

Another major source of water is from the sea. Saudi Arabia is now the world's largest producer of desalinated water. Every day the country's desalination plants, managed by Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), pump millions of gallons of water through miles of pipeline. More of these are planned along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts. They are also a major source of electric power generation.

To collect precious surface water during seasonal floods, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water (and now the Ministry of Water and Electricity) builds dams. Over 200 dams with a total reservoir capacity of almost 16 billion cubic feet of water have been built, with the larger dams such as those in the Wadi Jizan, Wadi Fatima, Wadi Bisha and Najran, supplying irrigation water for thousands of acres of cultivated land.

Another expanding source of water is treated urban wastewater. It is estimated that approximately 40 percent of the water used for domestic purposes in urban areas could eventually be recycled, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water is constructing recycling plants in the major cities, starting with Riyadh and Jeddah.