2116923, 4.08PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water = Menu y WAT@R @ wall Article menu Shared Water Resources in KSA Published on June 28,2021 Patol: Camel grazing farm in Wadi A-Disah KSA. (Source: Lota itor Fick} Groundwater aquifers are recognized as shared water resources in KSA. Table 1 summarizes these aquifers while Map 1 shows their location, Table: Overview of shared groundwater aquters in KSA, hups:waterfanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-wator-resouroosn-ksal wnt2116123, 408 PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water Umm er Iraq. ~45 A {tural Radhuma- early ‘dustrial anc iraq, Very iow to industrial and Dammam | Kuwait, | -246000 | Tow(o-20 | 12908) ~ | pftoshte | | domestic use System KSA mmiye) ~90 (1993), eae (North), KSA:NA e Sea-Ram Maint ‘Aquifer Jordan: | Fresh | agrictltural.A System WW Jordan: 90, ag in (west) isi, | /4fSR" | 308,000 | MONT 3® Khe RR | B08 | Mantinal ane Mudawwara- >4.000 740 | mg/L TDS) | industrial use Ru isexpected Way £52260 | ysq | Fahl | Predominant sytem | KSA, | 455000 | Verylow (0-2 30-205, | brackish | aeticultural Khatmah Yemen mmiyn) Yemen eo, municipal and Formation raps) | indusital Wasia- Biyadh- autor Toreeser gystem | KSA. | 157.000 | Veylowio-2 | ‘tutery’ | soo | (40-800 | nomadsand fouth), omen ; nly e Tawila Hinlted mg/L TDS) ‘Sharurah/Abr Mahra, Border posts cretaceous Sands ‘ney Very low to ‘| y trag,KSA | ~112000 | ow(G-20 | 230-35 . brackish | Pomesticand mm/yr) 3,000 mail TDS) Tayaraty, waste Group Sakai: ‘aroma Umm er adh. ammam, se | Oman, Agricultural Hachramaut | sa, | egoo00 | eR ySs? | Oman:as, | Neld Freshto | domestic and ‘soe URE, , low 0-2 UAE?" | 2%, | nypersaine | atinection'n Sauter | Yemen Oman (South), Rub ai-kha Umm er Bahrain Barman 37805) | SBE | eee | any iter mm er mostly < System | Bahrain Veryiowto | Radhuma: | G31 | a tpe to | agneuttural Garnet Sea | 84000 | lew on (2068), Qatar: | Mypersaline | industrial and’ Khobar " Gators | 25% | ‘coastat | urban Danner cSBSisa | SA | eae | rsationuse Rus, Umm er “608 Radhuma (2006) Tawi Jordan, | -44,000 | Verylow(0-2 | 1984100 | 22 | Freshto | irrigation Ips: Sanackcombaud-erebnthared-walar resources sna! an2116123, 408 PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water Secondan Tertiary- Quaternary Aquifer Complex (STQ), Sharawra, Sirhan Basin, Sirhan’ Hamza Graben, Wadi Sirhan Basin Neogene Aquifer System; (South-east), Diddivba- Kawait roe Irag:370 Dibdibba Iraq, Very low to DeltaBasin, | Kuwait, | 153,000 | low(0-20 MoM, Dibaba KSA mmiyt) ny stony. mail TDS) Dibdioba Alluvial Fan, Dibdioba Plain, Kuwait Plain Brackish to I rage Mainiy Kuwait's | 12 ‘agricultural MCM Map I:Sharod grouncwater aqufersin KSA. @Farack water Wie use cookies to ensure tha ve you the best experience on aur webste. you continue to use thie sit we wil assume that you are happy with htps:waterfanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-wator-resoureos.n-ksal ant2116923, 4.08PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water ‘The southern section of the Umm er Radhuma-Dammam Aquifer System spreads from the Gulf Coast in the north and the ‘Oman Mountains in the south-east over about 800 km (Map 2). It covers a total area of 678,000 km?, stretching across the vast Rub al-Khall Desert, the Dhofar-Najd Plain in Oman and the north-eastern Hadhramaut-Mahra Plateau in Yemen. Of the total area, around 249,000 km lies in Oman, 296,000 km?in Saudi Arabia, 61,000 km? in the UAE and 72,000 km? in Yemen. [2] About 392,000 km? of the aquifer system is exploitable. Abstraction from the aquifers in the Rub al-Khali Desert area that extends across the borders of all four countries is negligible. ‘The most significant use of this aquifer system happens in the Dhofar-Najd areas in Oman (45 MCM/yr) and the Jebel Hafit area in the UAE (7.7 MCM/yo), where itis being developed for agricultural and domestic use after treatment and, toa lesser coxtent, for industrial (water injection for the oil industry) and recreational purposes [3] ‘The distribution of groundwater salinity in th's aquifer (Map 3) indicates that the aquifers a potential source of relatively fresh water for Oman, KSA and Yemen. Salinity varies locally, and fresh water with <2,000 mg/L TDS can be found in the central areas of the aquifer as well as further east in the Najd areas. Hypersaline conditions have been defined in the north-eastern areas where hypersaline conditions prevail in the vicinity of sabkhas (coastal flats). In addition, high radon (Rn) and radium (Ra} content has been detected in the groundwater in Jebel Hatit. There are no water agreements in piace between the riparian countries for the Umm er Rachuma- Dammam Aquifer System (South.4} hiups:water fanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-water-resouroos.n-ksal am2 5 x2116923, 4.08PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water ‘Map 2 Overview of Umm er Rachuma-Darvmam Acute System (Sour eFansckwater Contents htps:waterfanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-wator-resoureos.n-ksal ant2116923, 4.08 PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water © Capital mm Gren eet oto 210% hiups:water fanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-water-resouroos.n-ksal ant2116923, 4.08PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water In Jordan, where the aquifer system is known as the Ram Group, itis widely exposed in the southern desert and is present in isi area (Jorden) was about 60 MCMiyr in the subsurface throughout most of the country. Abstraction in the Mudawwara 2013, although higher values of 70-80 MCM/yr were reported in 2008, The abstracted water is used for different purposes.{6] InKSA, south of the Jordanian border, groundwater abstraction in the Tabuk area increased drastically from about 29 MCM/yr, in 1983 to between 1,050-1,700 MCM/yr in 2004, mostly for agriculture, while recharge remains at 3-10 MCM/yr, The heavy mining of the aquifer system resulted in drops in the water level of up to 32 miyrin the late 1980s in KSA. There are indications that the exploitable part of the resource may be exhausted within 30-40 years unless abstraction can be controlled an both sides of the border{7] Water quality in the Saq-Ram Aquifer System (West) is generally good, with TDS levels between 1,000-1,200 mg/L and dominated by calcium (Ca*") and bicarbonate (HCO3°). Salinity increases northwards along the flow path, from fresh water (TDS:200-400 mg/L) in the Mudawwara-Disi area, to slightly brackish (TDS:1,000-3,000 mg/L) at the Dead Sea, where thermal springs are common. In KSA, salinity levels are slightly elevated in unconfined areas. ‘The riparian countries have to date not signed an official treaty. However, the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the Saudi Ministry of Electricity and Water signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the technical level in 2007. The agreement prohibits the drilling of new production wells and the expansion of agricultural activities within an area of 10 km along both sides of the border between the new Dibdib/Dubaydib and Tabuk well fields (indicated as a‘no drilling zone" on the map). However, the MoU is non-binding as it does not constitute a treaty under international iaw{8} — References [1] UN-ESCWA and BGR (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; Bundesanstalt far Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe), 2013. Inventory of shared water resources in Western Asia, Beirut. (2{ bia. [a)lbie (4) bia [5] Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 2016, [6] UN-ESCWA and BGR (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; Bundesanstalt fir Geowissenschaften und Rohsto‘fe).2013. Inventory of shared water resources in Western Asia, Beirut. (7 Ibid (s)ibid Related Topics Saudi-Arabia || Shared Waters || Aquifer || Groundwater || Salinity || Transboundary Waters || Weter Diplomacy fvings htps:waterfanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-wator-resoureos.n-ksal ont2116923, 4.08PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water r . ( ae Santon ” q ‘Murruk Easie nt WATER RESOURCES WATER RESOURCES IN LIBYA. ‘August 25,2020 PUBLICATIONS + — _ Ti WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND REUSE IN MENA COUNTRIES. WATER MANAGEMENT IN MOROCCO SSEPTEMBER17,2019 htps:waterfanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-wator-resoureos.n-ksal sont2116923, 4.08PM ‘Shared Water Resources in KSA -Fanack Water THE NILE RIVER IN EGYPT ocToser2,2019 OOWLEDGE MATTERS, FACTS COUNT Follow Fanack Water| Books Browse All Books $1299 Shop $1824 Shop S1L96 ‘Shop $995 Shop $3479 Shop $1299 Shop $19 COUNTRY FILES INFORMATION ‘Torepresent the voice ofthe region's people, we carefully echo the region's heartbeat by offering fact-checked and therefore credible information. Your supports greatly appreciated and helpful 2 Chipin Back to too Copyright 2006 - 2023 Fanack Water | All Rights Reserved htps:waterfanack com/saudl-arabia/shared-wator-resoureos.n-ksal wt