HUSSEIN SAID ARRANGEMENTS ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO RE-EVALUATE THE WATER SITUATION THROUGH UPDATING PREVIOUS WATER STUDIES IN ADDITION TO BENEFITING FROM TREATED DRAINAGE WATER FOR THE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES IN ALL CITIES. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MINISTRY OF WATER AND ELECTRICITY WILL ORGANIZE ON NOV 21-22, IN COOPERATION WITH THE WORLD BANK A WORKSHOP ON THE NATIONAL WATER STRATEGY. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MINISTRY HAS SET UP 236 DAMS WITH A STORAGE CAPACITY OF ABOUT 850 MILLION CUBIC METERS, AND ARRANGEMENTS ARE UNDERWAY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS OF 35 DAMS WITH CAPACITY OF MORE THAN 1,100 MILLION CUBIC METERS. MOREOVER, THERE ARE PLANS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS OF 130 DAMS WITH THE CAPACITY OF 350 MILLION CUBIC METERS. THE COST OF ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE ESTIMATED AT ABOUT SR 3 BILLION', HE SAID. AS REGARDS THE SECTOR OF WATER DESALINATION, THE MINISTER SAID THE NUMBER OF DESALINATION PROJECTS AT THE KINGDOM'S EASTERN AND WESTERN COASTS HAS AMOUNTED TO 30 WITH A PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF ABOUT THREE MILLION CUBIC METERS PER DAY. THE MINISTER EXPECTED THAT THE KINGDOM'S POPULATION WILL JUMP TO ABOUT 37 MILLION BY 1446AH. AL-HUSSEIN SAID THE COST OF THE WATER DESALINATION PROJECTS IS EXPECTED TO AMOUNT TO SR 120 BILLION. --MORE
