Megawatt diplomacy: Water as the missing link in the new architecture of Middle East energy security

From oil geopolitics to the water-energy nexus For more than a century, energy security in the Middle East has been defined by oil and gas. Strategic waterways, export routes, production capacities and geopolitical rivalries have shaped the region’s role in the global energy system. Yet while policymakers continue to debate energy transitions, decarbonisation and the future of hydrocarbon markets, a more fundamental challenge is emerging beneath the surface: water. The Middle East is simultaneously one of the world’s most energy-rich regions and one of its most water-scarce. This reality is not merely an environmental concern; it is increasingly becoming a strategic one. As the region seeks to maintain its energy leadership while adapting to climate change and economic transformation, water […]