US-Iran war: Why desalination plants are critical to Gulf and under threat

Iranian strikes have exposed the Gulf's dependence on desalination plants. Here's why these facilities are vital, vulnerable during conflict, and what a disruption could mean for the region

Last week, Iranian strikes damaged a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait, exposing the vulnerability of critical water infrastructure in the Gulf. Tehran has repeatedly threatened to target desalination plants and other key facilities across the region.

 

The attack has once again drawn attention to the Gulf's heavy dependence on desalination plants for freshwater at a time when fighting, missile attacks and regional tensions have already disrupted energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

 

What are desalination plants and how do they work?

 

Desalination plants convert seawater into fresh drinking water by removing salt and other minerals. The freshwater produced is used to supply households, industries, hotels and, in some cases, agriculture across the region.

 

 

The most widely used desalination method is reverse osmosis, which pushes seawater through ultra-fine membranes that filter out salt. Most countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) use reverse osmosis because it is relatively energy efficient.

 

According to the US Department of Energy, thermal desalination systems heat water until it evaporates into steam, leaving behind impurities before condensing it back into a liquid suitable for human use. Membrane-based desalination, meanwhile, involves saline water passing through a semipermeable material that allows water molecules to pass through while retaining dissolved solids such as salts.

 

Why are desalination plants important to the Gulf region?

 

Water is scarce across the Gulf due to its arid climate and irregular rainfall. Countries in the region have very limited natural freshwater resources and, in recent years, groundwater quality has deteriorated because of climate change. As a result, Gulf nations have increasingly relied on energy-intensive seawater desalination to meet their water needs.

 

According to a 2023 paper by the Arab Center Washington DC, the six GCC countries account for nearly 60 per cent of global desalination capacity and produce around 40 per cent of the world's desalinated water.

 

Kuwait is among the world's most desalination-dependent countries, with around 90 per cent of its drinking water coming from desalination. The figure stands at roughly 86  per cent for Oman and about 70  per cent for Saudi Arabia, according to a report by The Associated Press. More than 400 desalination plants are located along the Arabian Gulf coastline stretching from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Kuwait, supplying water to one of the most water-scarce regions in the world. Without these facilities, several Gulf cities would struggle to sustain their populations.

 

Iran also operates desalination plants in coastal areas such as Qeshm Island in the Gulf. However, Iran is not as heavily dependent on desalination because it also has access to rivers and dams.

 

Why are desalination plants vulnerable during war?

 

Many desalination plants are located along the Persian Gulf coastline, placing them within the range of missiles and drones during regional conflicts. According to the Atlantic Council, attacks on such facilities could trigger both humanitarian and economic crises.

 

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 around 12 miles from one of the world's largest desalination plants, which supplies much of the city's drinking water.

 

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

 

Many desalination plants are integrated with power stations as co-generation facilities, meaning attacks on electrical infrastructure can also disrupt water production. According to The Associated Press, even where desalination plants are connected to national electricity grids with backup supply routes, disruptions can quickly escalate across interconnected systems.

 

How severe could the threat of a water crisis be?

 

The consequences of attacks on desalination plants could be devastating. According to the Atlantic Council, Iranian strikes could disrupt water supplies to households, businesses, hotels and public facilities, trigger city-wide power outages, and even lead to calls for complete evacuations.

 

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 per cent of the region's desalinated water comes from just 56 plants, making them highly vulnerable to sabotage or military action.

 

While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have invested heavily in pipelines, storage reservoirs and backup systems to minimise the risk of disruptions, smaller Gulf states such as Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait have fewer alternatives if major facilities are damaged.

 

What other risks do desalination plants face?

 

Beyond war, climate change is 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 may damage plants or overwhelm drainage systems.

 

Desalination is also highly energy intensive. According to The Associated Press, desalination plants worldwide produce between 500 million and 850 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year. The process also generates highly concentrated brine, which is often discharged back into the ocean and can harm marine ecosystems, including coral reefs.