The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is located southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, and the harsh climate is not suitable for agriculture. However, agriculture has been encouraged and the cultivation area has considerably increased. The main problem of agriculture in the UAE is the shortage and high salinity of groundwater resources for irrigation. In this study, the present condition of irrigation water salinty and the effect of irrigation water quality on salt accumulation in soil and mineral contents of alfalfa was investigated. The results are summarized as follows: 1) Agricultural areas were divided into 8 sections and irrigation water quality was compared. The mean EC values of irrigation water in these areas were considerably different and were between 1.34-9.72 dS m^<-1> The EC of irrigation water was lower in areas near the mountains in the northeast region. There was a tendency of the EC values of irrigation water in 1992 and 1993 to be higher than those in 1978. 2) Soil samples were collected from farms with basin and drip irrigation methods. The EC values of saturated soil extracts increased with the increase of EC in the irrigation water, and this tendency was higher in soil from farms with drip irrigation as compared to basin irrigation. Seventy-five percent of the soil samples from farms using basin irrigation showed EC values below 5 dS m^<-1>. 3) Obvious differences were not observed in mean, maximum and minimum EC values of irrigation water from the farms cultivating dates, egg plant, tomatoes, cabbage or alfalfa. The mean EC values of irrigation water for cabbage and egg plant were slightly higher than those for date palms, alfalfa and tomatoes. 4) Na, Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn contents in alfalfa leaves were siginificantly affected by EC or cations in irrigation water or saturated soil extract.