Across the region, facilities tied to water and power—including desalination plants—have been damaged or exposed to risk as Iranian strikes extend beyond traditional targets.

A single strike, however, is unlikely to shut off the gulf’s water supply. The system is designed to absorb isolated disruption, but sustained or multisite attacks would begin to strain supply far more quickly.

“In the Gulf, desalination is built with enough breathing room that losing one plant doesn’t immediately show up at the tap,” says Rabee Rustum, professor of water and environmental engineering at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.

In Kuwait, Iranian drone attacks have damaged two power and desalination facilities and ignited fires at two oil sites. Other sites, including Fujairah in the UAE, have been identified as potentially exposed.

“Striking desalination plants would be a strategic move, but it would also come very close to, and in some cases cross, a red line,” says Andreas Krieg, senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London.

Water infrastructure, Krieg explains, occupies a distinct category. “Water infrastructure is not just another utility. In places that depend on desalination, it underpins civilian survival, public health, hospital function, sanitation, and basic state legitimacy.”

Krieg notes that international humanitarian law gives special protection to civilian objects and to objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. “Which is precisely why attacks on water systems carry such grave legal and moral weight,” Krieg adds.

The incidents highlight a structural reality: Desalination is central to water supply in the gulf, and disruption carries immediate implications for daily life.

How the System Absorbs Disruption

At first glance, desalination appears vulnerable. Shut down a plant, and supply is reduced. In practice, the system is designed with layers of redundancy.

Plants operate across multiple locations, allowing output to be redistributed if one facility slows down. Water is also stored at different points across the network, including central reservoirs and building-level tanks, creating a buffer that delays disruption.

According to a statement to WIRED Middle East by Veolia, an environmental services provider whose technologies account for nearly 19 percent of desalination capacity in the region, “the region’s water supply is diversified thanks to a network of numerous facilities distributed along the coastline.”

The company adds that distribution systems are interconnected, allowing plants to “support and substitute for one another when necessary,” helping maintain continuity of service.

In the UAE, storage capacity typically covers around one week, while in other parts of the region it may be limited to two to three days, Veolia says.

In practice, this means the system can absorb disruption for a limited period. Once reserves are depleted, water supply depends on whether plants can continue producing enough water to meet demand.

The System That Produces Water

Unlike most regions, the Gulf does not rely on rivers or rainfall. It depends on a network of desalination plants along its coastline that convert seawater into potable water on a continuous basis.

Seawater is drawn into treatment facilities, filtered and processed either through reverse osmosis—forcing it through membranes to remove salt and impurities—or through thermal methods that evaporate and condense water. The resulting supply is distributed through pipelines, stored in reservoirs, and delivered to homes, hospitals, and industry.

This is not a flexible system. It is designed to operate continuously, producing water at a scale that sustains cities, industrial activity, and essential services. Gulf states produce roughly 40 percent of the world’s desalinated water, operating more than 400 plants across the region.

Dependence varies by country but is high everywhere. In the UAE, desalination accounts for 41 to 42 percent of total water supply, while in Kuwait, it provides around 90 percent of drinking water, and in Saudi Arabia, approximately 70 percent.

When Disruption Becomes Visible

For residents, disruption would not be felt immediately—water would continue to flow.

Rustum explains that buildings are supported by internal storage and pumping systems, meaning early changes in supply may not be apparent. In many cases, water pressure remains stable, even as the wider system adjusts.

Dr Michelle Ng turned a moment of loss into a new beginning for herself

On Jun 28, 2025, Dr Michelle Ng was 39 weeks pregnant, nine days away from giving birth.

That’s when she received an email from her previous employer, saying that they would pause her senior doctor incentives and deduct from her maternity pay to cover the commissions for doctors hired in her place. 

She read the email twice. Then she went on to draft her resignation letter with conviction.

What happened next would transform Dr Michelle’s and her family’s lives. Within a few months, she would open ARTÉ by Dr M, an aesthetic clinic that had built a waiting list stretching to Feb 2026 before it even opened its doors in Dec 2025. 

But that Jun morning, none of that was visible. All she could see was the uncertainty of her future with her four-year-old daughter and her soon-to-be-born son, a career ending where motherhood began.

This is Dr Michelle’s story—how she turned a moment of loss, on the brink of motherhood, into the start of something entirely new. Vulcan Post spoke with her and her husband, Vincent, to understand the challenges, the risks, and the decisions that led to ARTÉ by Dr M.

Facing “career suicide” for taking her maternity leave

An NUS Medicine graduate with dermatology rotations at public hospitals, Dr Michelle built a strong foundation in skin and facial anatomy. She is renowned for her ambidextrous injection skills, which are widely regarded as highly advanced.

Over more than a decade in the field, she moved between doctor-led and investor-owned clinics, generating S$200,000–S$300,000 in monthly revenue from her work alone, according to her husband, Vincent.

She joined her ex-employer in 2023. But when her second pregnancy came in early 2025, her employer’s support waned. At 12 weeks, tests confirmed a high-risk pregnancy. Despite mounting fatigue and medical complications, she continued showing up for her patients, even as her body signalled the need to slow down.

With lessons learned from her first pregnancy—when she had little time to bond with her first child after opting for half-day arrangements despite being fully entitled to maternity leave—Dr Michelle decided to take her full entitlement for her second child.

She took 16 weeks of government-paid maternity leave plus six weeks of shared parental leave (three weeks from her husband), totalling 22 weeks (about five months) to recover and spend time with her family.

However, upon applying for leave, she was told by her ex-employer that going on maternity leave for that long is “career suicide.” Dr Michelle was disheartened and lost all hope in her career, but she knew that she had to prove otherwise.

The final straw came nine days before her son’s delivery in Jul 2025. Her ex-employer sent an email informing her of the temporary pause of her senior doctor incentives during her maternity period, and any commissions paid to covering doctors in her absence will be deducted from her maternity salary.

The next day, between prenatal appointments and birth preparations, she drafted her response. Dr Michelle informed them that the deduction was not allowed under the relevant laws, tendered her resignation, and began her four-month notice period—sacrificing her remaining shared parental leave in the process.

That same day, her son Louis was born, and the idea of ARTÉ then slowly took shape.

Navigating motherhood & ambition

ARTÉ by Dr. M opened its doors in the middle of Dec 2025, but the journey tested Dr Michelle in every way.

In the lead-up, she navigated one of the most demanding periods of her life: caring for a newborn, managing postpartum recovery, and simultaneously building a clinic from the ground up.

She secured a unit at Millenia Walk, negotiated with her landlord, Pontiac Land Group, coordinated with medical suppliers, and oversaw a complex renovation—all within the span of just a few months.

Then, just as things began to take shape, another challenge surfaced.

Her long-term domestic helper left abruptly, leaving Dr Michelle scrambling to arrange childcare while keeping the clinic’s construction on track. On top of that, as with any major project, renovation delays arose, pushing ARTÉ’s opening back by a month from the original Nov 2025 target.

Watching her hold everything together through that chaos, her husband left his 13-year career in commodities to support her. 

“I couldn’t bear to see her carry everything on her own,” he said. “The way she showed up for her patients during her maternity period, and for what she believes in. It made it clear to me that this was more than just a career. It was her calling, and she convinced me to give up my career to help her give her best for her patients.”

The couple’s capital investment exceeded S$1 million for equipment and renovation alone in the 1,600 sqft unit, with monthly operating costs averaging between S$60,000 and S$100,000.

“Many people commented that I was crazy to start a business as soon as I gave birth, but it was this belief that I told myself that I wanted ARTÉ to be a beacon of hope for all women that anything is possible even in the most demanding seasons of life,” Dr Ng recalled. 

She runs the clinic supported by a team of four

ARTÉ by Dr. M specialises in non-surgical anti-ageing treatments with a focus on injectables (including botox, dermal fillers, and collagen stimulators), alongside lasers and Ultherapy Prime machines for skin lifting, tightening and rejuvenation.

Dr Michelle is the clinic’s sole doctor, supported by a team of four.

Treatments led by her typically begin from S$800 up to S$2,000 per session, while non-doctor therapist treatments start from S$200. For patients looking for a more personalised approach, the clinic also offers customised programs tailored to individual needs and budgets.

Dr Michelle said transparency is a core principle of the clinic. “There are no hard-selling and no hidden fees,” she explained. Treatments are usually structured in three sessions, followed by a detailed review of progress.

The clinic’s reputation was evident even before its doors opened in Dec 2025: bookings were filled up to Feb 2026, reflecting the trust Dr Michelle had built with her patients over the years.

Beyond patient experience, Dr Michelle shared that ARTÉ represents a deliberate choice about how care should be practised. “The field has become increasingly commoditised, with price wars and the race to the bottom,” she said. More investors are setting up clinics with commercial priorities at the forefront, while medical risks become secondary to sales performance and treatment pricing.

“For us, every treatment, even for trials, is done with full intent, and we give our 100%,” she added.

“There are sacrifices that come with building something you believe in”

Today, Dr Michelle is not only an aesthetic doctor but also a speaker and trainer for leading global brands such as Merz, where she mentors and trains younger doctors. 

She also has plans to grow ARTÉ meaningfully, guided by the same patient-centric principles on which it was built. 

Yet behind all this growth lies a reality she carries quietly. She sees patients six days a week, often skipping meals and returning home after her children have already fallen asleep. 

She shared, “There are sacrifices that come with building something you believe in. I don’t always get the time I wish I had at home, but when I am present, I make sure I am fully there for my children.”

For Dr Michelle, ARTÉ’s growth isn’t just about scale or revenue—it’s about building something meaningful, even if it demands more from her personally.

“Every time I look at my clinic,” she added, “I see blood, sweat and tears. But I also see that despite everything, we chose to keep going and to build something we could stand behind.” She also hopes her story shows other women that maternity is not a setback to overcome, but a source of strength to draw from.

Since her ex-employer challenged her maternity entitlements, Dr Michelle has engaged lawyers and attended multiple legal meetings.

As a mother and doctor in an industry built on empowering women, I couldn’t stay silent and accept what felt wrong. That day, I chose to stand for what I believe in.

Dr Michelle Ng

The matter remains unresolved to this day, yet she continues to focus on her patients, her clinic, and inspiring other women to find strength in their own journeys.

• Find out more about ARTÉ by Dr. M here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Featured Image Credit: ARTÉ by Dr. M

The Federal Communications Commission continued its crackdown on Chinese tech on Friday, issuing a new proposal that would extend a ban on companies to products previously authorized.

In 2021, companies such as Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua, Hytera and ZTE were added to the FCC’s Covered List, a record of companies and products that the FCC believes pose a national security risk to the US, under the Secure Networks Act. The Chinese companies produce mobile phones, security cameras and other tech products.

But the 2021 ban applied only to new models that the FCC hadn’t authorized, and companies were free to keep selling models that had already received the FCC’s stamp of approval. If approved, the new proposal would ban these companies entirely, including those previously approved products. 

“Older models of covered equipment pose an unacceptable risk today when imported or marketed in the United States, not only when such equipment is new to the market,” an FCC report from October said.

The proposal will be open for comment until May 6, after which the commission will vote on whether to adopt the rules. The ban won’t affect devices already owned by Americans.

Read more: My Expert Advice: Don’t Buy a Router Until We Know More About the FCC’s Ban

Millions of consumers and businesses rely on Wi-Fi routers, telecommunications equipment and security cameras every day, making these devices critical links in both home and office networks. The Federal Communications Commission shocked the broadband industry on March 23 by effectively banning the sale of future foreign-made Wi-Fi routers (including some of the biggest router brands). 

In recent years, Chinese telecommunications companies have faced restrictions on operating in the US. In 2020, The Wall Street Journal cited US officials who reportedly said that Chinese companies, including Huawei, used backdoor access intended for law enforcement to track sensitive information.

But this ban could be implemented quickly. The FCC proposes that “all parties [will have to] cease all importation and marketing activities within 30 days of the effective date of the prohibition.”

This proposition doesn’t reflect a final legal ruling on telecommunications imports, but it does reflect how the Trump administration has been increasingly pressuring Chinese tech companies in recent months.

The foreign-made router ban was only the latest in a string of decisions that have placed restrictions on Chinese tech companies operating in the US.

In December, the FCC banned the importation of Chinese-made drones into the US. Just months before that, the agency voted to block new approvals for any device containing parts manufactured by companies on the Covered List.

Representatives from the FCC and Huawei didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

• Quantum resource estimates suggest encryption barriers may fall faster than expected
• Reduced qubit requirements bring theoretical attacks closer to practical reality
• Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations face pressure from advancing quantum algorithm efficiency

Google researchers have revised expectations around the computational requirements needed to break widely used cryptographic systems protecting cryptocurrencies.

The company’s latest whitepaper claims a future quantum machine could solve the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem using significantly fewer resources than previously assumed.

Kalshi can’t be stopped in New Jersey. A 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled on Monday that New Jersey has no authority to regulate Kalshi’s prediction market allowing people to bet on the outcome of sports events. That power rests with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the panel ruled 2-1.

The CFTC is headed by President Donald Trump appointee Michael Selig, who vocally and actively supports prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket, calling them “exciting products.” The Trump family agrees: Donald Trump Jr. is a paid adviser to Kalshi and an unpaid adviser to Polymarket, and Truth Social, which is run by the Trump Media and Technology Group, is set to start a prediction market of its own.

Online prediction markets are an emerging phenomenon that allow users to bet on the outcome of basically anything, from local athletic competitions to lethal military invasions. Though they’re new, these marketplaces have already shown evidence of insider trading on an extreme scale, with suspicious bets and big payouts tied to the US and Israel’s military strikes in Iran, and also the US’ brief invasion in Venezuela. According to blockchain analyst DeFi Oasis, fewer than 0.04 percent of Polymarket accounts captured more than 70 percent of profits, totaling $3.7 billion.

Multiple state gaming regulators have filed legal challenges against Kalshi and Polymarket in recent months, and just last week the CFTC sued Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois over their attempts to regulate prediction markets. While each state has its own angle of attack, from election issues to underage betting, they’re all broadly claiming that prediction markets are just illegal gambling businesses. Today’s ruling marks the first federal-level decision in one of these cases and it’s in favor of the prediction markets.

New Jersey sent Kalshi a cease and desist letter in 2025, claiming the service violated the state’s ban on collegiate sports betting. Kalshi escalated the situation and sued New Jersey, arguing that its sports contracts are actually swaps, a type of financial investment that’s (conveniently) regulated by the CFTC. A lower-court judge previously sided with Kalshi, prompting New Jersey to appeal. Two of the three judges in that appeal ruled that Kalshi’s sports-related event contracts were indeed swaps. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour called Monday’s ruling “a big win for the industry.”

US Circuit Judge Jane Richards Roth dissented, writing that Kalshi’s “offerings were virtually indistinguishable from the ​betting products available on online sportsbooks, such as DraftKings and FanDuel.”

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has the option to ask the full 3rd Circuit to rehear the case, and the issue is also pending in several other courts.