AG Mayes to give Q&A after documentary on global water conspiracy in Scottsdale

PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes will answer questions following the screening of a documentary about a global water conspiracy on Friday night in Scottsdale.

Mayes will hold a Q&A after the 7 p.m. showing of “The Grab” at the Harkins Shea 14 theaters, which is near Shea Boulevard and Scottsdale Road. The documentary follows several journalists as they uncover wide-reaching global efforts to hijack the world’s food and water resources.

Tickets to the Q&A screening are available now at Harkins.com and at the theater box office.

Joining Mayes during the post-film screening discussion will be Democratic state Rep. Stacey Travers and Sarah Porter, the director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy.

Why AG Mayes is speaking at Harkins Theater in Scottsdale

Mayes cares deeply about the film’s subjects, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

“Mayes is interested in the topics of the documentary, particularly the focus on megafarm corporations draining water resources from land in rural Arizona while our state’s groundwater supplies dwindle due to lack of regulation and lack of action from the Legislature to address this issue,” Taylor told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

The documentary features reporters who uncovered the worldwide conspiracy. One of them has discussed these issues at length with Mayes.

“Mayes did an interview with one of the people chronicled in the documentary, Nathan Halverson of the Center for Investigative Reporting, on the topics the documentary covers,” Taylor said.

That connection paved the way for Friday’s event.

“Mayes has stayed in touch with the reporter and agreed to do the Q&A as the film is debuting here in Phoenix,” Taylor said.

Documentary reflects water issues in Arizona

The subjects in the documentary reflect issues that have long simmered in Arizona’s farmlands. Foreign companies from countries like Saudi Arabia will buy land, drill water and farm alfalfa, a famously water-intensive crop. Then they’ll ship the crops back to their homelands.

These large corporate farms in western and southeastern Arizona have come under criticism. Detractors say they use large amounts of water as the southwestern U.S. experiences a severe drought.

In fact, some neighbors of these farms have said the megafarms use so much water that neighboring wells run dry.

“Mayes has led the fight against on this issue since taking office last year,” Taylor said.

Mayes announced that drill permits had been revoked for a Saudi Arabia-owned farm in La Paz County in April 2023. The two deep-water wells had initially been approved for Fondomonte Arizona LLC.

Mayes called the well approvals “unconscionable” when announcing their cancellations.

“It’s time to wake up and protect Arizona’s most precious natural resource — water,” Mayes said.