In a country with the geography and climate of the Kingdom, water is a natural resource which must be highly valued and conserved. The Kingdom draws its water from four main sources:
- Surface water, which is to be found predominantly in the west and south-west of the country. In 1985 (1405/06 AH), surface water provided 10% of the Kingdom's supply.
- Ground water, held in aquifers, some of which are naturally replenished, while others are non-renewable. In 1985 (1405/06 AH), ground water provided 84% of the Kingdom's supply but it is noteworthy that most of this water came from non-renewable aquifers.
- Desalinated seawater, a source of water production in which the Kingdom is now a world leader. Desalination technology, which also produces electricity, has reached an advanced stage of technology in the Kingdom and, by 1985 (1405/06 AH), this source was providing 5% of the Kingdom's supply.
-Reclaimed wastewater, a source of water which is still in its early stages but which offers scope for considerable expansion. In 1985 (1405/06 AH), the reclamation of wastewater provided 1% of the Kingdom's supply.
According to the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, in 1999 (1419/1420 AH) there were 27 desalination plants producing 745 million cubic meters (572 million gallons a day) of desalinated water and providing more than 70 per cent of the required drinking water. Work was underway to build three desalination plants at Khobar, Jubail and Shuaiba.
