ABSTRACT
The Arab region is one of the most arid regions of the world and is characterized by low rainfall and very high temperatures. Nevertheless, agricultural practices have been common in these regions since time immemorial, thanks to the centuries-old practices of building underground water canals tapping the aquifers and bringing the groundwater to the surface under the influence of gravity. These aqueducts or subterranean water tunnels have played a significant role in agricultural development and human settlement in the arid and semi-arid regions of the old world (English 1968). The technique essentially consisted of constructing subsurface water channels or canals in the alluvium and bed rock, directing water from the mountain aquifers and springs to semi-arid and arid valleys and plains for agricultural activities and community use (Lightfoot 2000).
