How much of the Gulf's water comes from desalination plants?

"The six Gulf states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—are among the most water-scarce countries in the world and rely heavily on desalination to meet the needs of their combined populations, which exceed 62 million people."

"The Gulf countries produce roughly 40 percent of the world's desalinated water, operating more than 400 desalination plants along their coasts. The threshold the United Nations has set for absolute water scarcity is 500 cubic metres per capita per year. With an average per-capita share of natural freshwater of only 120 cubic metres per year, therefore, Gulf countries rely heavily on desalination to fill the gap between supply and demand."

"Iran's foreign minister accused the US of striking a desalination plant on Qeshm Island off the coast of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. The strike reportedly cut off the water supply to 30 villages. Just 24 hours later, Bahrain said an Iranian drone had caused material damage to one of its desalination plants near Muharraq."

The six Gulf states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—are among the world's most water-scarce regions, with combined populations exceeding 62 million people. These desert nations lack permanent rivers and rely primarily on groundwater and desalination to meet water demands for cities, industry, and agriculture. The Gulf states collectively produce approximately 40 percent of the world's desalinated water through more than 400 coastal plants. With average per-capita natural freshwater of only 120 cubic meters annually—far below the UN's 500 cubic meter threshold for water security—desalination is essential. Recent military strikes on desalination infrastructure, including attacks on Iran's Qeshm Island plant and Bahrain's facility near Muharraq, have exposed the vulnerability of this critical infrastructure during regional conflicts.

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