Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hussayen has called for a ban on the wasteful use of ground water for irrigation purposes. He backed up his demand with the statistic that “80 percent of ground water is consumed by farmers and this poses a danger to the Kingdom's strategic water reserve.” The minister made the remarks before the Shoura Council Sunday where he had been called to answer questions regarding citizens' water, sewage and electricity needs. The appearance comes after a number of complaints were filed by citizens fed up with water and electricity shortages. However, at the hearing the minister rejected criticism of the ministry. He revealed the Saudi Electricity Company's intention to bid for private sector projects worth SR10 billion over the next 10 years. He also insisted the comprehensive water system and national water strategy would be completed soon. “Over one million cubic meters of water will be supplied to Makkah, Jeddah and Taif over the next three years,” he said. This plan aims to put an end to the water shortages which have become all too familiar in the cities. Al-Hussayen defended the maintenance of the Kingdom's desalination stations, saying “they have become leaders in the field and can maintain and operate themselves.” He also revealed a plan for the privatization of desalinated water has been submitted to the Supreme Economic Council. However, the minister admitted that his answers have failed to convince many Shoura councillors. “We can't convince everyone because some people want free electricity,” he said. The rationalization of water consumption throughout the Kingdom is also huge priority and three million units have been distributed to enable households to cut their water consumption. “A further five million of these units have been installed in public and private sectors with the aim of cutting water consumption by between 25 and 45 percent.” Regarding the cost of water and electricity, Al-Hussayen said that about “38 percent of the Kingdom's population pays monthly electric bills of less than SR50 while 64 percent pays about SR100 i.e. SR1,200 every year.” The SEC annual revenue is SR28 billion, while water revenue is roughly SR1.5 billion. The minister said the figures are small in comparison to “the heavy burden of mobile phone bills, which are about SR70 billion.” __
