Umm Al Quwain beaches close as tanker oil spill reaches UAE coast
UAE authorities have closed beaches and begun containment work after oil from a damaged tanker reached Umm Al Quwain. The extent of environmental damage remains unclear.
UAE authorities have temporarily closed all beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain after a tanker oil spill reached the emirate’s coast on Friday, 23 October. Teams are containing the oil and assessing its impact on the marine environment. BBC Verify said video it verified showed oil washing ashore and turning the water black.
How far the oil spill has spread
BBC Verify said satellite images showed the slick extending more than 35km from the tanker by Wednesday, 21 October. Its review of radar imagery with intelligence firm MAIAR indicated that the oil spread rapidly over two days. Images from Monday showed the beginnings of a leak from a ship matching the location and dimensions of Gem No.2, which BBC Verify said was damaged between 9 and 10 October near the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said its monitoring system detected oil affecting Umm Al Quwain’s beaches. According to The National, the ministry did not name the vessel; the newspaper attributed its identification as Gem No.2 to international maritime agencies. The National reported that 22 Indian sailors were rescued from the 330-metre tanker when it was damaged. The cause of the strike and who carried it out have not been established.
Beach closures and environmental response
The ministry said teams had begun containment, cordoning, clean-up and remediation with local and federal authorities. Umm Al Quwain Municipality said it was monitoring conditions, identifying affected areas and supporting treatment work. Beaches and coastal areas will remain closed until technical teams complete assessments and determine the measures needed to protect people and marine life. Authorities urged fishermen and other sea users to avoid fishing in affected areas and follow official instructions.
Residents in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain reported unpleasant odours, but the ministry said those odours posed no health risk. Coastal surveys and monitoring are continuing. Steve Widdicombe, director of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, told BBC Verify an environmental impact was ‘inevitable’, while researchers said it was too soon to assess its extent. Oil can trap turtles, coat seabirds’ feathers and damage fish gills, BBC Verify reported; the effects of this spill on wildlife have yet to be measured.
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Sources and context
- Oil spill washes up on UAE beaches after tanker strikeBBC Verify
- UAE closes all Umm al Quwain beaches after tanker oil spillHindustan Times
- UAE confirms oil spill off coast and temporarily closes Umm Al Quwain beaches | The NationalThe National
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.