The Saudi Environment Ministry is planning to build 1,000 new dams, which will join the kingdom’s 521 dams system.
According to the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper, a recent report issued by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture indicated that 11 new dams were added during the year 2019, bringing the total to 521 dams in various regions.
The ministry undertakes maintenance and operation work in it, and studies are underway to establish 1,000 additional dams for the system.
The report indicated that the Ministry had established a new department named “Dam Operation and Maintenance Department,” to which all tasks and responsibilities related to the operation and maintenance of dams and their contracts were transferred.
According to the source, the hydrological network devices were also operated to collect water monitoring information, a bulletin of daily rainfall rates was issued, and 31 additional rainwater metering stations were installed.
The Saudi economic and political researcher, Khaled Batarfi, told “Sky News Arabia” that the goal of building 100 dams is to take advantage of the rainwater that is wasted, since the torrents will supply it with about 8 billion cubic meters of water.
He added that building these dams would secure the strategic food reserve in Saudi Arabia.