I think it means that Saudi Arabia is a country where there is a water scarcity.
Explanation:
The Arab Gulf is said to suffer from the most complex water crisis in the world. In nearby UAE, the Government is investing heavily in cloud-busting technology that shoots flares containing table salt into clouds to wring more rain out of them.
Working slowly over many years, groundwater travels along small cracks. The water dissolves and carries away the solid rock. This gradually enlarges the cracks.
The discovery of a sea route between Europe and Asia did all of the following ... the surrounding areas, trade between Europe and Asia came to a complete halt, ...
