The Middle East’s abundant desalination plants, which remove salt from the Persian Gulf’s seawater, are the key source of drinking water for millions of residents in the arid region. “These desalination plants, even more than the energy infrastructure of the Gulf monarchies, are their Achilles’ heel.” The Middle East accounts for more than 40% of the world’s desalination capacity, with around 5,000 plants feeding its water systems. In a secret assessment in the early 1980s — since declassified — the CIA said: “Senior government officials in some of the countries perceive it [water] as more important than oil to the national well-being.” About 100 million people live in the countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman — all now under Iranian attack.
Author: Editor
Published at: 2026-03-18 00:00:00
Still want to read the full version? Full article
