Abstract: To investigate the effects of alternate wetting and drying irrigation on the growth and development of saline-alkali rice in the Yellow River irrigation area of Ningxia, this study proposes an appropriate alternate wetting and drying irrigation technique suitable for local rice cultivation. The research focuses on four main rice varieties cultivated in the Yinchuan North region of Ningxia (Zhongkefa 5, Ningjing 28, Songliang 869, and Ningjing 48) as the research subjects. Five alternating wet and dry irrigation treatments were set up (CK, AWD1, AWD2, AWD3, and AWD4 treatments, i.e., from the end of tillering to the end of harvest, the soil water potential was reduced to 0, -20, -30, -40, -50 kPa, followed by a 7-day recovery to the conventional water layer, then drained again to complete the dry-wet cycle). The study compared and analysed the effects of different dry-wet alternating irrigation treatments on rice photosynthetic characteristics and yield. The results showed that compared with CK, moderate dry-wet alternating irrigation (AWD1 and AWD2) significantly increased rice net photosynthetic rate (34.31%–53.76%), transpiration rate (27.93%–49.52%), stomatal conductance (49.42%–59.33%), intercellular CO₂ concentration (3.55%–10.48%), SPAD (1.38%–4.66%), and rice yield (0.95%–0.97%) (P < 0.05), while severe alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD3 and AWD4) significantly reduced intercellular CO₂ concentration (0.53%–11.56%) and yield (5.24%–16.97%) (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that yield was extremely significantly positively correlated with SPAD (P < 0.01) and significantly positively correlated with intercellular CO₂ concentration (P < 0.05). Additionally, the results showed that the average yield of Zhongkefa 5 under various alternating wet and dry irrigation treatments was 9,009.65 kg/hm², significantly higher than other varieties (P < 0.05); the average yield of all rice varieties under the AWD2 treatment was 8,563.51 kg/hm², significantly higher than other treatments (0.38%–17.23%) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the average irrigation water use efficiency under the AWD2 treatment was 0.76 kg/m³, significantly higher than other treatments (2.37%–11.32%) (P < 0.05). Therefore, it is recommended to adopt the AWD2 irrigation method when planting rice in saline-alkali soils in the Yellow River irrigation area of Ningxia, i.e., from the beginning of tillering to the end of harvest, restore the conventional water layer for 7 days after the soil minimum water potential reaches -30 to 0 kPa, then drain the field, alternating between wet and dry conditions; and give priority to planting the Zhongkefa 5 rice variety.