Water stress
974.2%
Country Water Profile
Water Risk in Saudi Arabia
SDG 6.4.2 water stress: 974.2% · WRI Aqueduct baseline water stress: Extremely High (>80%) · At least basic drinking water: 99.0%
Saudi Arabia has 974.2% SDG 6.4.2 water stress in the latest available FAO AQUASTAT reading, while WRI Aqueduct classifies baseline water stress as Extremely High (>80%). WHO/UNICEF JMP estimates at least basic drinking-water access at 99.0%.
Saudi Arabia has very high structural water risk. Despite 99.0% basic drinking-water access, the country faces 974.2% water stress, 81.6% agricultural water use, and Very High groundwater pressure, making long-term supply resilience the central issue.
Basic drinking water
99.0%
Agricultural water use
81.6%
Population
35.3M
Aqueduct category
Extremely High (>80%)
Key Takeaway
The main takeaway for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s water-risk profile shows a country with very high structural pressure on limited freshwater resources. The headline numbers point in the same direction: 974.2% water stress, 81.6% agricultural water use, and Very High groundwater pressure. Basic drinking-water access is strong at 99.0%, but high access does not remove the deeper resource challenge. In Saudi Arabia, long-term water risk is shaped by aridity, limited renewable freshwater, groundwater dependence, high irrigation demand, desalination needs, and the cost of moving water across a large desert country. This means the country’s main water challenge is not only whether households can access basic services today, but whether national supply systems, agriculture, groundwater reserves, and managed water sources can remain resilient under sustained demand and climate pressure.
Key Indicators
What the main numbers say about Saudi Arabia
Water Stress
974.2%
Basic Drinking Water Access
99.0%
Agricultural Water Use
81.6%
Population
35.3M
Water Access and Service Quality
Water access, sanitation and service quality
This section brings together headline access, service quality, sanitation, hygiene, and the biggest access gaps.
What stands out most clearly
Water stress remains structurally high
The latest public indicators show 974.2% water stress, suggesting that pressure is not just episodic but tied to long-term demand, supply limits, and wider resource management.
Agriculture dominates water demand
Agriculture accounts for 81.6% of total water withdrawal, making it the single most important driver of national water pressure and a key factor in long-term system strain.
Access and pressure tell different stories
Basic drinking water access reaches 99.0%, but high access does not remove underlying resource stress, because reliability, service quality, and regional differences can still remain significant.
Drought adds volatility
Climate variability remains an important part of the national risk picture and can turn existing pressure into sharper disruption during dry periods.
Sanitation and hygiene conditions
Sanitation service level
Shows whether sanitation access keeps pace with drinking water access and whether service quality remains uneven.
Open defecation
Helps show whether sanitation access gaps still translate into major health and dignity risks.
Basic handwashing access
Adds hygiene context and helps show whether household-level service conditions support public health resilience.
Urban and rural differences
Basic drinking water: urban vs rural
Shows whether headline access hides a meaningful urban-rural inequality.
Overview
The overall country profile
Saudi Arabia shows 974.2% SDG 6.4.2 water stress in the latest FAO AQUASTAT reading. The SDG threshold band is Critical (SDG 6.4.2 threshold). This percentage-based SDG indicator should be interpreted separately from WRI Aqueduct’s baseline water-stress category, which classifies Saudi Arabia as Extremely High (>80%).
Basic drinking water access is 99.0%, while service quality and reliability can still vary below headline access figures.
Groundwater pressure is described as very high groundwater pressure, showing that underground water resources remain an important part of the national water risk picture.
Water Data Snapshot
A quick reference table
These indicators show where water pressure comes from, how it affects access, and how each metric should be interpreted in context.
| Indicator | Value | Source | Year | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35.3M | World Bank | 2024 | Shows the scale of demand that water systems must serve. |
| Water stress | 974.2% | FAO AQUASTAT | 2022 | Shows how much pressure water withdrawals place on available resources. |
| Basic drinking water access | 99.0% | WHO/UNICEF JMP | 2024 | Shows how many people have at least basic drinking water access, but not full service quality on its own. |
| Agricultural water use share | 81.6% | FAO AQUASTAT | 2022 | Shows how strongly national water demand is concentrated in agriculture. |
| Drought exposure | WRI Aqueduct | Baseline | Shows how strongly climate variability can intensify water supply pressure. | |
| Groundwater pressure | Very high groundwater pressure | FAO AQUASTAT | 2022 | Shows how strongly the country depends on stressed groundwater resources. |
| Aqueduct water stress category | Extremely High (>80%) | WRI Aqueduct | Baseline | Shows WRI’s comparative risk category and should not be read as the same metric as FAO water stress %. |
| SDG 6.4.2 threshold band | Critical (SDG 6.4.2 threshold) | FAO AQUASTAT / SDG 6.4.2 | Shows the SDG threshold band only; interpret it separately from WRI Aqueduct baseline water stress, which classifies Saudi Arabia as Extremely High (>80%). |
Main Pressures
Why water pressure builds and what it means
This section combines the main drivers, pressure points, visible effects, and key takeaways.
The strongest pressure points
Agriculture
Agriculture is a major driver of water demand, accounting for 81.6% of total water withdrawal. This increases sensitivity to irrigation demand, rainfall variability, and seasonal shortages.
Groundwater
Groundwater pressure is very high, suggesting that withdrawals are placing severe strain on renewable groundwater resources.
Main causes
High demand in an extremely dry country
Saudi Arabia’s water stress is driven by high demand in one of the world’s driest national settings. Limited renewable freshwater, rapid urban needs, industrial activity, and the cost of supplying water across a large desert territory all increase pressure on national water systems. Even with strong basic drinking-water access, demand remains a structural issue because the country must rely on managed supply, desalination, groundwater, and careful water-demand management to keep services reliable.
Agriculture is the largest demand pressure
Agriculture is central to Saudi Arabia’s water risk because it accounts for 81.6% of total water withdrawal in this profile. Farming in arid conditions often requires irrigation and can place sustained pressure on groundwater and managed water supplies. This means Saudi Arabia’s water challenge is not only about household access, but also about how agricultural demand is managed in a country with very limited renewable freshwater.
Drought and aridity amplify water risk
Saudi Arabia’s water risk is intensified by arid climate conditions, low natural freshwater availability, and climate variability. Drought pressure matters because there is little buffer from rainfall, rivers, or renewable surface water when demand rises. In this context, dry periods can increase reliance on groundwater, desalination, storage, and long-distance water infrastructure, making resilience planning essential for national water security.
Groundwater pressure is a long-term concern
Groundwater is one of the most important long-term risk factors in Saudi Arabia’s water profile. The country is rated as having Very High groundwater pressure, reflecting the strain created when withdrawals and demand exceed the limits of naturally renewable freshwater. Groundwater dependence is especially important for agriculture and inland supply, so protecting aquifers and reducing unsustainable extraction are central to long-term water resilience.
Water security depends on complex infrastructure
Saudi Arabia maintains high basic drinking-water access, but that access depends on complex and energy-intensive systems, including desalination, treatment, storage, transmission, and distribution networks. This infrastructure helps offset natural freshwater scarcity, yet it also creates cost, reliability, and resilience challenges. Long-term water security therefore depends on protecting supply systems, expanding efficient reuse, reducing losses, and managing demand across cities, industry, and agriculture.
How pressure becomes visible
Water Stress
Water stress shows up through competing demand across agriculture, households, industry, and ecosystems.
Drinking Water Access
Drinking water pressure shows up through access, quality, reliability, and service differences between places and populations.
Drought and Variability
Drought and climate variability amplify water pressure by reducing supply reliability and increasing seasonal exposure.
What the numbers suggest
Water stress is a resource signal
With water stress at 974.2%, pressure on available water resources is high enough to shape the broader national water picture, not just isolated local shortages.
Access does not erase risk
Basic drinking water access at 99.0% does not remove underlying water risk, because service quality, reliability, and regional differences can still remain significant under high system pressure.
Agriculture is central to demand
Agricultural water use at 81.6% shows that farming remains the dominant driver of national water demand and a major source of long-term pressure on water systems.
Climate variability amplifies pressure
Climate variability can intensify existing stress and make dry periods more disruptive for supply and reliability.
Long-Term Story
The longer-term story
This section combines trend evidence, forward-looking signals, and the broader country narrative.
Trend summary
Saudi Arabia shows a persistent need to manage water demand, service resilience, and climate-related supply variability together.
Across public datasets, the overall picture is one of overlapping stress: demand pressures, uneven service outcomes, and climate-linked variability all contribute to the water risk profile.
Trend indicators
Water stress remains extremely high
Saudi Arabia’s water stress level shows that national water withdrawals are far above the country’s renewable freshwater base. This makes water scarcity a structural issue rather than a short-term shortage. The key trend to watch is whether demand management, reuse, desalination efficiency, and groundwater protection can reduce pressure over time.
Agriculture dominates water withdrawals
Agriculture is the largest demand-side pressure in Saudi Arabia’s water profile. Because farming in arid conditions often depends on irrigation and groundwater, agricultural water use has a major influence on long-term water security. Reducing inefficient withdrawals and improving irrigation efficiency are central to improving national water resilience.
Managed supply is increasingly important
Saudi Arabia maintains very high basic drinking-water access, but that access depends on complex managed supply systems, including desalination, treatment, storage, and distribution infrastructure. The long-term trend is not only about access coverage, but also about reliability, cost, energy use, reuse, and resilience under sustained water demand.
What to watch
- Watch whether Saudi Arabia can reduce extreme water stress through stronger demand management. The country’s 974.2% water stress level shows that withdrawals are far above renewable freshwater availability, so long-term resilience depends on reducing inefficient use, improving water productivity, expanding reuse, and managing demand across cities, industry, and agriculture.
- Watch agricultural water use and irrigation efficiency. Agriculture accounts for 81.6% of total water withdrawal in this profile, making it the largest demand-side pressure on Saudi Arabia’s water resources. Improvements in crop choices, irrigation systems, treated wastewater reuse, and groundwater protection will be central to reducing long-term water risk.
- Watch groundwater pressure and non-renewable groundwater use. Saudi Arabia’s groundwater pressure is rated Very High, and groundwater remains a critical issue for inland supply and agriculture. The key question is whether policy, monitoring, pricing, and alternative water sources can slow unsustainable extraction and protect aquifers for future resilience.
- Watch desalination, reuse, and infrastructure resilience. Saudi Arabia maintains 99.0% basic drinking-water access, but that access depends on complex managed supply systems, including desalination, treatment, storage, and distribution networks. Future water security will depend on keeping these systems reliable, energy-efficient, cost-effective, and resilient under rising demand and climate pressure.
The story behind the data
Saudi Arabia faces overlapping water pressures from demand, infrastructure, and climate variability.
Public datasets point to pressure across water availability, drinking water service conditions, and sectoral demand.
This profile should be read as a comparative public-data overview rather than a single harmonized statistical series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about water risk in Saudi Arabia
Is Saudi Arabia facing a water crisis?
Yes. Saudi Arabia faces severe long-term water pressure driven by extreme aridity, limited renewable freshwater, high demand, groundwater stress, and agricultural water use. The country’s profile combines 974.2% water stress, 81.6% agricultural water use, and Very High groundwater pressure, which points to a structural water-risk problem rather than a short-term shortage.
What causes water stress in Saudi Arabia?
The main drivers include very limited renewable freshwater, arid climate conditions, high agricultural withdrawals, groundwater dependence, and the cost of supplying water across a large desert country. Agriculture alone accounts for 81.6% of total water withdrawal, making it one of the strongest sources of long-term pressure on national water resources.
Does everyone in Saudi Arabia have access to safe drinking water?
Not necessarily. Saudi Arabia’s headline figure for basic drinking water access is 99.0%, but that does not automatically mean everyone has fully safe, reliable, and equally available service. JMP treats drinking-water service levels as distinct categories, so high basic access should not be read as universal high-quality service in every place and at all times.
Why is agriculture so important in Saudi Arabia’s water risk?
Agriculture is central because it accounts for 81.6% of total water withdrawal, which means irrigation strongly shapes both current stress and long-term resilience. In Saudi Arabia, agricultural demand is especially important because farming in arid conditions can depend heavily on groundwater and managed water supply, keeping pressure high even when household drinking-water access is strong.
Sources
What powers this profile
Which source powers which metric
- Population: World Bank
- Water stress: FAO AQUASTAT
- Drinking water: WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Agriculture: FAO AQUASTAT
- Drought: WRI Aqueduct
- Groundwater: FAO AQUASTAT
Methodology
How to read the data
This country profile combines World Bank API indicators with structured country feeds derived from JMP, AQUASTAT, and Aqueduct. Indicators come from different systems and years, so they should be interpreted together as a comparative public-data profile rather than a single harmonized statistical series.
FAO AQUASTAT SDG 6.4.2 water stress is a percentage-based national withdrawal indicator, while WRI Aqueduct baseline water stress is a separate risk-category system. These two metrics should be interpreted together, not treated as the same classification.Data confidence
Indicators may come from different years and sources and should be interpreted together as a comparative public-data profile rather than a single harmonized statistical series.