Scorching summer temperatures are hitting the Arabian Peninsula, and Kuwait is scrambling for solutions to avoid temporary power cuts in dozens of areas. It has already been forced to implement such measures several times since 2024, fearing that peak-hour demand could outpace generation capacity.

Kuwaiti power plants can generate 20 gigawatts of electricity, but there’s little buffer during heatwaves, and shortages could reach 1.6 gigawatts this summer, the US International Trade Administration noted. “Kuwait should have addressed this matter 10 to 15 years ago. Today’s measures do not solve the current issue; they prevent it from exacerbating in the future,” said Rahmat Poudineh, who leads electricity research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, in comments to Al-Monitor.

One of the culprits in Kuwait’s electricity crisis is a rising population, projected to reach five million this year — an increase of roughly one-third since 2015, according to UN data. This demographic growth has fueled higher demand for services like air conditioning and desalinated water, both of which are energy-intensive. Demand for electricity is expected to grow by 3.3% annually between 2025 and 2027, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Finding a way forward