Groundwater Rights and Legislation for Sustainable Development in Arid Regions: The Case of Saudi Arabia

The main objective of this article is to shed light on an important issue of water conservation-groundwater rights and legislation. Principles of groundwater rights are detailed and their applications to major aquifer systems, groundwater basins and wadis are discussed. Legislation and the clarification of water rights are vital for the sustainable development of groundwater. They are urgently needed in Saudi Arabia in particular and in all areas where demand exceeds supply. Legislation is one of the main pillars upon which any conservation policy is built. In this article a model is suggested for groundwater allocation in aquifers shared by more than one state.