A water crisis in Asir has been escalating and is now threatening the tourism industry of the region. A similar crisis is occurring in Taif. Many tourists have decided to leave the area because of lack of water at the resorts where they are staying. Residents of the Asir area have said the Directorate of Water and Desalination has left them in the dark giving no reasons as to how the worst water crisis in years has occurred. Many residents have resorted to storing water in plastic cans and limiting their water usage to washing and drinking. Saudi Gazette reported previously water truck prices in Asir increased by 350 percent because of the ongoing shortage. Taif residents have had to line up for hours outdoors waiting to buy a water truck to bring water to their homes. This shortage has caused inflation in water truck prices up to SR400 compared to the SR114 when there is no shortage. - Okaz __
