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Nuclear Desalination For Facing The Deficit In Fresh Water Resources In The Arab World Dr. Samer S. Mekhamer Head, Desalination Research Group, Nuclear Reactors Division, Egypt Egyptian National Coordinator, NAR Nuclear Desalination Feasibility Study, IAEA Nuclear Desalination Expert in AAEA, Tunisia Atomic Energy Authority- Nuclear Research Center : P.O. 13759 Cairo, Egypt The Arab world is mostly arid and semi-arid land which suffer from water shortage, (cultivated land 0.7 million km2 from the total area of 14 million km2, i.e. less than 0.05 %). Arab world composed of 22 countries, it covers an area of about 14 million km2. Its population is estimated in 1996 to be 250 millions capita with an average annual growth rate of about 2.6 %. Population is expected to reach 350 millions capita by the year 2010. Average rainfall ranges between 100 and 300 mm, and most of the Arab countries have neither rivers nor fresh lakes. Also, ground water in most places lies at a considerable depth which ranges between 1000 to 2000 m. The water question goes beyond the local and the Arab level to the regional and the international one. It is believed that the next conflict between the Arab states and Israel will take place for one of them to control the limited natural water resources in the region. Water scarcity leads to a big pressure on food production, economic growth and natural systems protection. Fresh water represents about 1% of the total amount of water available in the whole world, while saline water represents more than 97%. Desalination is a part of the natural water cycle and thus it may gradually become not only the best but also the most promising way for producing fresh water to face the deficit of its resources in the Arab world. The study shows that the use of nuclear energy for desalination in the Arab countries will contribute to the national income by savings in fossil fuel, in minimizing environmental pollution and with completive water unit cost.