Explained: Why water desalination plants are vital for Gulf countries

A view of the Ras al-Khair water desalination plant, owned by the Saudi government's Saline Water Conversion Corporation, along the Gulf coast in eastern Saudi Arabia. (Photo: AFP)

• Desalination plants supply most drinking water in Gulf countries
• Gulf desalination plants and water supply at risk due to conflict
• Major cities could lose water within days if plants are disabled

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As the war in West Asia threatens energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, analysts warn that water, not oil, may be the region’s most vulnerable resource.

Hundreds of desalination plants line the Persian Gulf coast, supplying drinking water to millions in some of the world’s driest countries. Any disruption to these systems could quickly trigger a humanitarian crisis in major Gulf cities.

What are desalination plants?

Desalination plants convert seawater into fresh drinking water by removing salt and other minerals. The most widely used method is a process called Reverse osmosis, which pushes seawater through ultra-fine membranes that filter out salt.

The freshwater produced is used to supply households, industry, hotels and some agriculture across the region.

Why are they so important to the Gulf?

Many Gulf countries depend heavily on desalinated water because they lack natural freshwater resources such as rivers or large lakes.

In Kuwait, about 90% of drinking water comes from desalination, according to a report by The Associated Press. The figure is roughly 86% in Oman and around 70% in Saudi Arabia.

Without desalination plants, several Gulf cities would struggle to sustain their populations.

Michael Christopher Low, director of the Middle East Centre at the University of Utah, told AP that Gulf states could be described as “saltwater kingdoms”.

“Everyone thinks of Saudi Arabia and its neighbours as petrostates. But I call them saltwater kingdoms. They’re manmade fossil-fueled water superpowers,” he said.

Why are they vulnerable during war?

Because many desalination plants are located along the Persian Gulf coastline, they are within range of missiles and drones during regional conflicts.

The war that began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran has already brought fighting close to several major facilities. Iranian strikes near Dubai’s Jebel Ali port landed about 12 miles from one of the world’s largest desalination plants that supply much of the city’s drinking water.

Damage has also been reported at the Fujairah F1 power and water complex in the United Arab Emirates and at Kuwait’s Doha West desalination plant, though experts say there is little evidence that Iran has deliberately targeted water infrastructure so far.

Many desalination plants are integrated with power stations, meaning attacks on electrical infrastructure can also disrupt water production.

“It’s an asymmetrical tactic,” David Michel, senior fellow for water security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AP. “Iran doesn’t have the same capacity to strike back at the United States and Israel. But it does have this possibility to impose costs on the Gulf countries.”

How quickly could a crisis emerge?

Experts say major cities could lose most of their drinking water within days if key desalination plants were disabled.

A 2010 analysis by the Central Intelligence Agency warned that attacks on desalination facilities could trigger national crises in several Gulf states. The report noted that more than 90% of the region’s desalinated water comes from just 56 plants, making them highly vulnerable to sabotage or military action.

A leaked 2008 US diplomatic cable warned that the Saudi capital Riyadh could face evacuation within a week if the major desalination plant at Jubail or its pipelines were severely damaged.

While Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have invested in pipelines, storage reservoirs and backup systems to reduce the risk of disruptions, smaller Gulf states such as Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait have fewer backup options.

What other risks do desalination plants face?

Beyond war, climate change is also increasing risks to desalination infrastructure.

Rising ocean temperatures and stronger cyclones in the Arabian Sea could threaten coastal facilities, while storm surges and extreme rainfall could damage plants or overwhelm drainage systems.

According to AP, desalination is also energy-intensive, with plants worldwide producing between 500 million and 850 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

The process also produces highly concentrated brine, which is often discharged back into the ocean and can harm marine ecosystems such as coral reefs.