The state’s retirement system invested heavily in a private land deal that allowed a foreign company to effectively ship Arizona’s scarce water supply overseas.
Saudi Arabia
The Great Arizona Water Grab
A surprising group of investors is fueling a global scramble for water in the most unlikely of places – the Arizona desert. As wells run dry, there’s a race for profits.
Here’s how Arizona residents are reacting to foreign water mining
First, they depleted their freshwater aquifers. Now, companies from the Middle East are pumping up limited water supplies in the Arizona desert and exporting it back to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the form of hay.
What comes after ‘The Big Short?’ Going long on water
The world’s freshwater supply is under increasing demand, and an investor featured in “The Big Short” is betting prices will rise dramatically in the coming years.
Debate spreads about Saudi dairy drilling wells in arid Arizona
Arizonans are debating what actions to take after a Reveal investigation showed the state’s limited aquifers are being drained to grow and ship crops overseas.
High and dry: A deep dive into the water crisis
From the parched California coast to soaring water bills in New York, this episode of Reveal takes an in-depth look at water issues around the country.
Growing hay a world away
Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company, Almarai, bought 9,600 acres of land in a desert in the American Southwest. The company then converted it into hay fields to feed cows back home.
What California can learn from Saudi Arabia’s water mystery
Saudi Arabia’s once massive underground aquifer system is drying up due to years of overpumping. And California, in the midst of a drought, is heading