WaterWatch will assist the Ministry of Water and Electricity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in quantifying the groundwater abstraction caused by irrigation. This quantification benefits the UNDP project for the development of an integrated water resources management strategy. The results will provide insight in the water use and irrigation efficiency for different crop types and therefore allow policy makers to optimize the allocation of water. Analysis will be done using imagery from several high and low resolution satellites in combination with the SEBAL and ETLook models developed by WaterWatch. 

The Al Hassa Oasis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is plagued with soil salinity and to a lesser extent with water logging. In order to propose options for sustained irrigated agriculture in Al Hassa the spatial distribution of the agro-hydrological processes and total water use patterns need to be understood. Consistent and reliable spatial information on (i) areas irrigated, (ii) actual crop water consumption (ETa), (iii) over and under irrigated areas, (iv) soil salinity, and (v) waterlogged areas will define the extent of the problems, the causes, what actions to take to remedy it and where. To overcome the lack of consistent spatial data on irrigation and drainage conditions, a project within the framework of this FAO project was granted to WaterWatch to map and assess the agro-hydrological and soil salinity conditions in the Al Hassa oasis in 2008 using remote sensing technologies.

Basic knowledge of irrigation practices and ground water resources was recognized as a missing element for building the Water Sector Strategy and Action Plan (WSSAP) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A fundamental understanding and quantitative description of the agricultural water resources are needed for any future aquifer exploration and well permiting plan. This remote sensing study explored the historic irrigation expansion and abstraction between 1975 and 2004.