Analysis: The Gulf's water crisis: Why cooperation is crucial -- and complicated (July 2025)
www.mei.edu
... On June 19, false reports of an Israeli strike on Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant sparked alarm across the Gulf.
Though denied by Israeli officials, the claim traces back to a warning from Qatar's prime minister of a potential catastrophe in the event of nuclear contamination -- no water, no food, no life -- due to the Gulf's reliance on desalinated seawater.
Gulf governments moved quickly to reassure the public that no radiation had been detected, but the episode underscored the region's growing sense of vulnerability. A regional approach to water security could help to mitigate such risks.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was founded on the principle of regional cooperation to address shared challenges. Yet, despite this spirit of collaboration, one of the region's most pressing challenges -- water scarcity -- has largely remained a national rather than a collective concern.
With all GCC members except Oman classified as extremely water-scarce, and water needs met largely through energy-intensive desalination, the region faces mounting threats from rising demand, climate change, and geopolitical risk.
This article explores the missed opportunities for regional water cooperation, the reasons behind this fragmented governance, and the strategic case for a united response.
The threat of water (in)security
Whether viewed through the lens of traditional state security or the broader framework of human security, more extensive regional collaboration on water issues across the GCC is not only desirable, but also increasingly urgent.
As climate risks intensify, infrastructure vulnerabilities deepen, and political uncertainties persist, the imperative for collective action is becoming harder to ignore.
The Gulf region collectively faces a serious water security challenge, relying heavily on non-renewable sources such as fossil groundwater and desalinated water, which together account for over 90% of the region's overall water resources. Groundwater remains the main water resource across much of the region, although desalination plays an increasingly important role and is already the primary source of water for some Gulf states.
As the supply of groundwater continues to deteriorate and it becomes a less dependable water source, desalination is increasingly seen by regional governments as the solution. Gulf countries are the most desalination-dependent nations in the world, collectively producing around 40% of the world's desalinated water, with their capacity expected to double by 2030. ...
