In order to cope with the rise in human-caused demands, Saudi Arabia is exploring
new groundwater sources. The groundwater potential ofWadi Ranyah was studied using a multidataset-
integrated approach that included time-variable gravity data from the Gravity Recovery and
Climate Experiment (GRACE), vertical electrical sounding (VES), and time-domain-electromagnetic
(TDEM) data with other related datasets to examine the variations and occurrence of groundwater
storage and to define the controlling factors affecting the groundwater potential in Wadi Ranyah
in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Between April 2002 and December 2021, the estimated variation in
groundwater resources was 􀀀3.85 0.15 mm/yr. From 2002 to 2019, the area observed an average
yearly precipitation rate of 100 mm. The sedimentary succession and the underlying fractured
basement rocks are influenced by the structural patterns that run mainly in three different trends
(NW, NE, and NS). The sedimentary cover varies from 0 to 27 m in thickness. The outputs of the
electrical sounding revealed four primary geoelectric units in the study area: on top, a highly resistant
geoelectrical unit with a resistivity of 235–1020 W.m, composed of unsorted, loose, recent sediments;
this is followed by a layer of gravel and coarse-grained sands with a resistivity of 225–980 W.m; then,
a water-bearing unit of saturated sediments and weathered, fractured, basement crystalline rocks
with a resistivity of 40–105 W.m, its depth varying from 4 to ~9 m; and then the lowest fourth unit
composed of massive basement rocks with higher resistivity values varying from 4780 to 7850 W.m.
The seven built dams store surface-water runoff in the southwestern part of the wadi, close to the
upstream section, in addition to the Ranyah dam, as the eighth one is located in the middle of
the wadi. The subsurface NW- and NS-trending fault lines impede the groundwater from flowing
downstream of the wadi, forming isolated water-bearing grabens. Minimal surface runoff might
occur in the northern part of the wadi. The combined findings are beneficial because they provide a
complete picture of the groundwater potential ofWadi Ranyah and the controlling structural patterns.
Using this integrated technique, the groundwater potential in arid and semiarid regions can now be
accurately assessed.