Before the construction of the Aswan High Dam the annual flooding of the Nile (Egyptian Arabic: وفاء النيل‎ Wafa' El Nil) provided fertile and hydrated soil for the vines, and the stable weather conditions made it a competitive location for the cultivation of wine grapes. After the construction of the dam in 1970 the annual flooding stopped. Today vineyards in Egypt use drip irrigation to make up for the lack of rain.[5]