Iran strikes on desalination plants threaten Arab states’ water supplies
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Analysts warn that Iranian missile and drone strikes pose a significant threat to water supplies in Arab states along the Persian Gulf. These nations, including Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, rely heavily on desalination plants for drinking water, with some countries sourcing up to 90% of their water this way. The plants, which remove salt from seawater, are vulnerable to attack, potentially leaving major cities unable to sustain their populations. While the focus has been on the impact of conflict on energy prices and oil exports, the vulnerability of desalination infrastructure presents an equally critical risk to the region's stability, highlighting the dependence of these "saltwater kingdoms" on this technology.
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AI-ExtractedThey’re man-made fossil-fuelled water superpowers.
The Gulf produces about a third of the world’s crude exports.
In Kuwait, about 90 per cent of drinking water comes from desalination.
Hundreds of desalination plants sit along the Persian Gulf coast.
Without them, major cities could not sustain their current populations.
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