# After crude oil, Gulf water plants become the new war target amid Middle East conflict

> The Middle East war has opened a dangerous new front, desalination plants that turn seawater into drinking water. After an Iranian strike damaged a plant in Kuwait, fears are growing that the Gulf's biggest vulnerability is its water supply.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Middle East · **Published:** 2026-07-18 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/middle-east/kruda-yala-ke-bada-aba-pine-ke-pani-para-nishana-gulf-ke-desalination-plant-para-hamalon-se-kyon-barhi-bechaini-8476 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** desalination plants, Gulf water crisis, Iran Israel war, Kuwait attack, Middle East conflict, drinking water crisis

The conflict raging across the Middle East is no longer confined to drones, missiles and strikes on crude oil sites. A new and far more dangerous front appears to be opening up in this war, the drinking water that ordinary people depend on every day. In a recent strike, Iran targeted a desalination plant in Kuwait, the kind of facility that turns seawater into water fit for drinking. Since that attack, there has been growing discussion that the weakest link for Gulf nations is actually their drinking water supply. If attacks on desalination plants continue to escalate, tens of millions of people could face a severe water crisis.

## Why desalination plants matter so much to the Gulf
The Gulf region is among the driest parts of the world. It has few major rivers and rainfall there is limited at best. As a result, groundwater resources are also not sufficient to meet the needs of the population. In this setting, seawater is converted into fresh, drinkable water through desalination plants and then supplied to homes, hospitals, hotels and factories. This is why a large share of the Gulf's population, along with its industries, hospitals and hotel sector, depends almost entirely on water from these plants. If this system were to shut down even for a few days, everyday life could grind to a halt.

## From Iran to Kuwait, where the strikes have hit
During the ongoing conflict in West Asia, water related infrastructure in Iran and several other Gulf countries has come under repeated attack. In March 2026, a strike was claimed on a desalination plant on Iran's Qeshm Island, though the United States and Israel denied it. That attack affected water supply to around 30 villages. Then in April 2026, a strike on the Pars Petrochemical Complex in Assalouyeh damaged power and desalination facilities, raising fears that water and power supply to the industrial area could be affected. Also in March 2026, a major desalination plant in Bahrain was damaged in an Iranian drone strike, although water supply there continued to run. In Kuwait, between March and April 2026, two major plants, including the Doha West Power and Water Desalination Plant, were damaged by missiles and drone debris, after which the administration activated an emergency plan even though the water supply remained stable. Then on 17 July 2026, an Iranian strike on Kuwait's Shuaiba Power and Water Desalination Complex damaged several electricity production units, deepening security concerns around Kuwait's water and power infrastructure. Also in March 2026, drone activity was reported near the sensitive Fujairah F1 Plant and Dubai's Jebel Ali desalination plant in the UAE, adding to tensions over water infrastructure there as well.

## How many desalination plants each Gulf country has
To understand how serious these attacks really are, it helps to know just how dependent Gulf countries are on these plants. Iran has around 75 desalination plants, located mainly in Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchistan, Bushehr and Khuzestan. The UAE has around 70 plants, including major ones such as Jebel Ali, Taweelah, Fujairah F1-F2 and Shuweihat. Kuwait has 8 major plants, including Doha East, Doha West, Shuaiba, Shuwaikh, Al-Zour and Subiya. Bahrain, meanwhile, operates 5 to 6 major plants, including Al-Dur 1, Al-Dur 2, Al-Hidd, Ras Abu Jarjur and Sitra.

## How dependent is each country on desalination
According to a report published by the Arab Center Washington DC, drinking water supply across the Gulf is almost entirely built around desalination. In Bahrain, desalination accounts for 90 to 99 percent of drinking water, meaning nearly all of the country's drinking water comes from these plants. Kuwait's figure is also between 90 and 99 percent, making it almost completely dependent on desalination for drinking water. In Qatar too, desalinated water is the main source of fresh water, with the same 90 to 99 percent share. In Oman, 86 percent of drinking water comes from desalination, while in Saudi Arabia the figure stands at 70 percent. The UAE's dependence is comparatively lower at 42 percent, though most of its urban water networks still rely on these plants. Iran's situation, however, is somewhat different from the rest of the Gulf. Iran has its own rivers, dams and groundwater resources, which makes its dependence on desalination lower at a national level compared with other Gulf countries. Even so, in Iran's southern coastal areas and islands, desalination plants remain the primary source of drinking water, making the infrastructure just as critical there.

## Why an attack on these plants is such a big threat
The US intelligence agency CIA had already warned in a 2010 report that if major desalination plants in Gulf countries were to shut down for an extended period, it could trigger conditions similar to a national emergency in several countries. According to that report, more than 90 percent of the Gulf's total desalinated water output comes from just 56 large plants. That means if attacks on these few large plants increase, the impact would reach tens of millions of people, who could then face a severe water crisis. This raises the question of whether the West Asia war could also drag on for years, much like the Russia-Ukraine conflict. If that happens, its impact would not stay confined to the Gulf, it could affect the global economy as well, leaving people to grapple with both a food crisis and a water crisis.

## What this means for you
This conflict is not directly about India, but its ripple effects will not spare Indian readers.

- **For Indians living in the Gulf:** a large number of Indians work in countries like Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE, so any deepening water crisis there would directly affect Indian families based in the region.
- **For the wider economy:** if this West Asia conflict drags on, it could hit the global economy, which in turn could affect fuel prices and inflation back in India.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Which country's desalination plant was attacked most recently?
On 17 July 2026, an Iranian strike damaged several electricity production units at Kuwait's Shuaiba Power and Water Desalination Complex.

### 2. Why are Gulf countries so dependent on desalination for drinking water?
The Gulf region is one of the driest in the world with few rivers and limited rainfall, so seawater is converted into fresh water through desalination to meet drinking water needs.

### 3. Which Gulf country depends the most on desalination?
According to a report by the Arab Center Washington DC, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar get 90 to 99 percent of their drinking water from desalination.

### 4. Why is Iran's dependence lower than other Gulf countries?
Iran has its own rivers, dams and groundwater resources, so its national-level dependence is lower, though its southern coastal areas and islands rely mainly on desalination.

### 5. What could happen if desalination plants shut down for a long time?
A 2010 CIA report warned this could trigger national emergency-like conditions in several Gulf countries, since more than 90 percent of desalinated water comes from just 56 large plants.

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