KUWAIT CITY, July 21 — Kuwait is one of the world’s most arid countries, receiving less than 120 millimeters of rainfall annually. That single statistic drives the emirate’s near-total dependence on desalination for its drinking water. The nation operates six major desalination plants.
Doha East, commissioned in 1983, has a rated capacity of 100 million imperial gallons per day. Doha West came online in 1997, capable of producing 120 million imperial gallons per day.
The other four facilities — Shuwaikh, Shuaiba, Az-Zour, and Al-Khafji, the latter shared with Saudi Arabia — complete the network. These plants employ multi-stage flash distillation and reverse osmosis. According to available data, they generate roughly 90 percent of Kuwait’s potable water.
As of 2024, the country’s total desalination capacity stood at approximately 600 million imperial gallons per day.
A System Under Stress
That system is now under direct threat. The current strikes have reportedly hit pipeline and electrical components at these facilities, reducing output by an estimated 20 to 30 percent, based on unconfirmed reports. Such a loss, if sustained, would be significant.
The historical record shows that attacks on desalination plants can force water rationing and cause salinity levels to rise in the available supply. Alternative sources are limited.
Bottled imports provide some relief, and there is limited groundwater, but the record notes that groundwater in Kuwait is not potable. That leaves the desalination network as the critical artery for civilian water supply.
A History of Vulnerability
The timeline of Kuwait’s water infrastructure reveals a pattern of vulnerability. During the 1991 Gulf War, the destruction of desalination plants led to severe water shortages. That experience remains a reference point for policymakers and military planners assessing the current situation.
The shared Al-Khafji plant, jointly operated with Saudi Arabia, adds a cross-border dimension to the infrastructure. Any disruption there would affect both countries.
According to sources familiar with the region’s water security, the current strikes appear aimed at key mechanical and electrical components rather than the distillation units themselves — a tactic that can slow production without destroying the entire plant. But the effect on output is already measurable if the unconfirmed reports are accurate. Water officials in Kuwait have not yet issued public rationing orders.
But the pattern of past attacks suggests such measures may follow if the reduction in output continues. The salinity increase that often accompanies reduced production would compound the problem, making even the remaining water less usable without further treatment.
What to watch next is whether the strikes continue or escalate. Repairs to pipeline and electrical infrastructure can take weeks or months, depending on the availability of spare parts and security conditions around the plants. The 1991 precedent showed that even after hostilities end, restoring full desalination capacity can be a lengthy process.
For a country that receives less than 120 millimeters of rain a year, every day of reduced output carries consequences.
Sources
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