Two indigenous rangeland forage species viz. Cenchrus ciliaris L. (UAE) and Coelachyrum piercei L.(UAE) collected under ICARDA- APRP Phase- I were investigated under ICARDA- APRP Phase-II for their response to five levels of irrigation water salinity viz. Control (1 dS m-1), 3, 6, 9 and 12 dS m-1 along with other perennial fodder grasses viz. Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana L.cvs. Katambora and Callide) and Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L cv. of Australia) from April 2000 to April 2002. The results of the study spanning 20 cuts indicated that effect of salinity, species, cuts and their interactions were highly significant (P < 0.01) with respect to all the characters studied. Adverse effect of salinity was evident in each species for the agronomic traits studied. Indigenous rangeland forage species viz. Cenchrus ciliaris L. (UAE) and Coelachyrum piercei L. (UAE) were severely affected by salinity with respect to plant height, green and dry matter weights progressively after fifth cut. The effect was more pronounced in the salinity levels beyond 6 dS m-1. While Coelachyrum piercei collapsed totally after sixth, seventh, tenth and sixteenth cuts respectively at salinity levels of 12 , 9, 6 and 3 dS m-1 , Cenchrus ciliaris L. (UAE) collapsed after tenth and fifteenth cuts respectively at salinity levels of  >9 and 6 dS m-1. Australian Buffel, however, was moderately affected by salinity, although it started collapsing after 15th and 18th cuts at salinity levels of 12 and 9 dS m-1. Rhodes grass cultivars showed less adverse effect even in progressive cuts in all the levels of salinity for all agronomic traits indicating their distinctive superiority over other two grass species. Salinity tolerance of genotypes was assessed using the concepts of both stress susceptibility index at each higher salinity level in relation to control (lowest salinity level) and mean value over the salinity treatments with respect to each agronomic character. Differential nature of accumulation of different ions and protein at varying levels of salinity was found among the species. Indigenous rangeland species although lack productive potentialities, particularly under saline conditions, have high K, low Na and Cl, and high K/ Na ratios usually found in the salt tolerant cultivars of crop plants. This indicates that there is large scope for improving these species through clonal selection and / or polycross breeding for their suitability under forage production system or rangeland rehabilitation at sites facing varying levels of salinity.