ABSTRACT
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a natural, perennial, river running to the sea, and water has always been a scarce 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 (Beaumont, 1977). With continued population and industrial growth water management and mining have become important issues. A small reminder of the drastic state of affairs is the fact that south of the capital of Riyadh, in Wadi Hanifa, partially treated sewage water has actually created the longest permanent river in the Kingdom (c. 60 km). Only in the high Asir region are there small rivers reaching anything like this length (e.g. Wadi Batharah).
