With their countries consuming water at alarming rates, governments in the Gulf Cooperation Council are looking for ways to increase the supply of fresh water and get households and businesses to use it more conservatively. Excess consumption has become a serious issue in the region. On a per capita basis, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates consume 91% and 83% more water than the global average, and about six times more water than the U.K., according to an analysis by Booz & Company. Qatar and Oman are also above the global average for water consumption, despite their desert climates. GCC residents and businesses have disregarded the consequences of their water usage to enjoy benefits more common in countries with ample rain and overflowing aquifers. But with the population of the GCC increasing in excess of 2% a year, and with rapid expansion in the region's economies, there is a growing recognition within many GCC governments that current water consumption patterns are unsustainable. “Water scarcity is a reality in just about every Arab country,” says Dr. Walid Fayad, a Beirut-based partner in Booz & Company's energy, chemicals and utilities practice. “If they don't make changes, these countries will find themselves in serious trouble.” GCC governments recognize the issue and have begun taking measures to address it: For instance, Saudi Arabia will phase out purchases of locally produced wheat by 2016 in order to discourage its growth and reduce the burden that farming imposes on the Kingdom's water resources.
