Introduction
• In Saudi Arabia, the shallow alluvial and
deep rock aquifers are the two major sources
of groundwater.
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is located in
an arid region, which have relatively low
average annual rainfall (114 mm/year), The
population has increased from 6.9 million to
26 million in 39 years (1972 to 2011),
resulting in significant increase of water use.
• The available water sources are limited in
Saudi Arabia, which can be further affected
by the impacts of climatic change, a recent
study has indicated that the reference
evapotranspiration could increase from
0.245 m/year to 0.368 m/year from 2011 to
2050. The loss of soil moisture was
estimated to be 0.181 m/year during this
period. Increase in temperature was
estimated to be 1.8°C–4.1°C during this
period.
KSA significant
value
• The Kingdom’s 2030 Vision and
Transformation Plan develops on
this policy, drawing a future in
which “…we can endure to
improve the quality of life for all
and afford the requirements of our
population, we will still guarantee
that high-quality services such as
water…are appropriately offered.”
Actually, Saudi Arabia’s vision and
goals are leading the Kingdom to
promote an audacious and original
water strategy that will guarantee a
healthy and sustainable future.
• Geological map of Saudi Arabia usually long inland
extension made by wadi Al-Hamd, which originates
near Al-Madonah. Valleys, cross the entire Kingdom.
However, these wadis rarely contain a lasting water
stream.
• Infrequent heavy rainfalls in the Kingdom results in
Geology of KSA flowing wadis and local floods, but water from most
rainfalls is usually absorbed by the alluvium in the dry
wadi, before it can travel more than a few kilometers.
The sources of water
in KSA
• Saudi Arabia relies on four water
sources:
• Surface water (4.6%)
• Groundwater(90.3%)
• Desalinated water (4.4%)
• Treated wastewater (0.7%)
The Surface Water
• Surface runoff at dams is the main surface water resource in KSA.
• The recorded average rainfall in 2019 was 59 mm, and the surface runoff at dams was
estimated at 970 million cubic metres.
• There are 522 dams around the country, with a capacity of 2.3 billion cubic metres (BCM)
to facilitate the storage and recharge of surface runoff. The total amount of the utilized
water from dams is about 1.6 BCM/yr.
Renewable surface
and groundwater
sources
• The source of surface water in Saudi
Arabia is the seasonal precipitation.
• The river beds are generally dry in
most part of the year unconfined.
• The largest quantity of runoff occurs
in the western region, which
represents approximately 60% of
total runoff.
• The total renewable groundwater is
estimated to be 2.8 BCM/yr.
Non-renewable
groundwater
• Groundwater in the deep sandstone
aquifers is non-renewable or ‘fossil’
water, which is confined in sand and
limestone formations of a thickness
of about 300 metres at a depth of
150-1,500 metres.
• reported the groundwater
reserves of 2185 BCM to a
depth of 300 m from the ground
surface.
Desalination
• Desalination is a procedure which removes mineral constituents from saline water more commonly. It
is defined as the elimination of salts and minerals from a specific material.
• Water desalination in Saudi Arabia has doubled over the past decade to reach 2.2 billion cubic meters
in 2021, up from 1.1 billion cubic meters per year in 2010.
Wastewater services in Saudi Arabia
• Wastewater treatment coverage varies within Saudi Arabia a
lot. In Damman city, 78 % of wastewater is treated, in the
capital city Riyadh 60 % whereas in Jeddah only 50 % of
wastewater is treated.
• The government of Saudi Arabia aims to treat all wastewaters
by 2025 and set the target by 2035, to treat 6.8 million m3 of
wastewater per day.
• In conclusion, water in the Kingdom is scarce and the government
must take the necessary measures to adjust the amount of
Conclusion
groundwater extraction, research and endeavor in sweetened water,
use tools proper irrigation in agricultural crops and animal barns
and guide citizens to rationalize water consumption.
Thank you for
listening
Recourse
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