The Pleistocene is mostly underlain by impermeable Neogene strata (Saqiye Group), but locally also by the Eocene, as is the case near the Gaza Strip (Table 2). The aquifer is considered to be more productive along the Sinai coast than further inland in Egypt8 and the Kurkar A is often the most productive formation.’ The mostly unsaturated Holocene cover is typically less than 10 m thick, while the Kurkar B is 30-70 m thick.