In the United Arab Emirates, desalinated water accounts for more than 80% of potable water.
Bahrain became fully reliant on desalinated water in 2016, with 100% of groundwater reserved for contingency plans, authorities have said.
Qatar is 100% dependent on desalinated water.
Desalination supplies 90% of Kuwait's residential water needs.
Oman is 86% reliant on desalination for its people's needs.
In Saudi Arabia, a much larger nation with a greater reserve of natural groundwater, about 50% of the distributed water supply came from desalinated water as of 2023, according to the General Authority for Statistics.
The Saudi capital Riyadh would have to evacuate within a week if the Jubail plant, its pipelines or associated power infrastructure were seriously damaged or destroyed , a 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks said.