The United Arab Emirates has begun containment operations following an oil spill from a tanker offshore, prompting the temporary closure of beaches and coastal areas around Umm Al Quwain.
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said an environmental assessment was under way and that technical teams would determine the safety and marine-protection measures required before affected areas could reopen. Fishermen and other sea users were urged to avoid the affected waters and comply with official instructions.
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Authorities in Sharjah also temporarily closed Al Hamriyah Beach, located on the northern coast near the Umm Al Quwain border, as a precaution.
Operational context
The ministry did not identify the vessel involved or disclose the cause of the spill. However, Martin Kelly, chief executive of Orbital Risk Intelligence, told Reuters that the leaking tanker was the Gem No.2. Satellite imagery from October 19 and October 21 appeared to show a significant slick originating from the vessel, according to analysts cited in the report.
Leon Moreland, a researcher at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, estimated that the slick covered about 160 square kilometres. He said its proximity to shore increased the possibility of impacts on beaches and environmentally sensitive habitats.
Shipping sources had previously reported that the Gem No.2 was struck by an unidentified projectile on October 9, around 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera in the UAE. The incident reportedly caused a fire that was later extinguished. No party claimed responsibility for the strike.
The spill has renewed concerns over environmental exposure along the UAE coastline, where desalination facilities, ports and industrial infrastructure are concentrated. Maritime intelligence firm Windward had earlier identified a VLCC-sized vessel leaking oil around 25 kilometres offshore from Umm Al Quwain. Its drift modelling indicated that prevailing currents could carry the slick southwest towards coastal infrastructure, including desalination intakes and ports in Sharjah and Ajman, if the leak was not halted.
Residents in some areas reported unusual odours, although the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said odours reported in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain did not pose a health risk. A strong smell was nevertheless reported in Umm Al Quwain on Friday.
The incident comes amid elevated security risks for commercial shipping in Gulf waters following attacks on vessels during the US-Israeli war with Iran. It also follows a separate tanker-related environmental event in August, when oil from a tanker that ran aground off Oman began reaching the mainland coast.