Question: where do they get water from in dubai

title: Water supply and sanitation in Abu Dhabi
text: 90 % of groundwater in Abu Dhabi Emirate is saline , in some cases up to eight times as much as seawater . There are only two freshwater aquifers . Natural groundwater recharge is estimated at about 300 million cubic meters per year . Brackish groundwater is mostly used for the irrigation of date palms which are relatively salt - tolerant . Recharge dams have been built on wadis in order to prevent flood water to flow into the sea , recharging it instead to aquifers . Unplanned and uncontrolled groundwater withdrawals , especially for agriculture and forestry , total over 2,000 million cubic meters per year and have resulted in declining groundwater levels and quality .