Core Insights - The Middle East is expected to add over 10 million cubic meters per day of desalination capacity by 2035, with a construction value exceeding $21 billion, despite ongoing conflicts involving Iran [1] - Governments in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain are continuing to support desalination projects due to fundamental water resource shortages [1] - The strategic priority of desalination remains strong among Middle Eastern governments, supported by long-term national planning [1] Desalination Capacity and Dependency - Saudi Arabia relies on desalination for 18.1% of its water, with 78.7% from groundwater and 3.2% from surface water [3] - The UAE has the highest dependency on desalination at 52.1%, with 47.9% from groundwater [3] - Kuwait's desalination accounts for 42.2%, while Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain have significant reliance on desalination, with Qatar at 77.3% and Bahrain at 67.5% [3][4] Risks and Infrastructure - Iran faces severe risks with its water infrastructure, operating approximately 1.7 million cubic meters per day of desalination capacity but heavily relying on over-extracted groundwater and surface water [1] - Decades of underinvestment have left Iran's water infrastructure structurally weak, potentially leading to a comprehensive water crisis amid ongoing conflicts [1] - If conflicts escalate targeting water infrastructure, governments may reassess the resilience trade-offs between large centralized plants and smaller distributed facilities [2]