King says Saudi revising laws to curb water use

Saudi Arabia's King Fahd urged citizens to save water and said his government was revising laws regulating water consumption in the desert country, Saudi newspapers reported.

"It (curbing water use) is a religious as well as a national and development duty. It should be strictly followed especially in light of (the) future water situation at global level," the king was quoted by the daily Arab news as saying.

He said the government was revising the systems and laws regulating water demand "to save this vital resources and utilize it in an economical manner."

Saudi Arabia relies on scare rainfall, non-renewable underground water and desalinization plants to meet the demands of its population of 18 million, which is growing at 3.5 to 4 percent a year.

The king said Saudi Arabia had spent 4.08 billion US dollars on water projects between 1990 and 1995.