UAE closes Umm Al Quwain beaches as oil spill from tanker reaches its coast

Beach closures in Umm Al Quwain

The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said its monitoring system had detected an oil spill from a tanker that reached beaches in Umm Al Quwain, one of the seven emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz. On Friday, 23 October, the ministry announced the temporary closure of all beaches and coastal areas in the emirate and said the bans would stay in force until technical teams finish their assessments. Fishermen were asked to avoid working in the area. Sharjah's government media office separately said the Al Hamriyah beach in Sharjah had been closed temporarily as a precaution, and it urged fishermen and swimmers to follow official safety instructions. Authorities reported unusual odours in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, which the ministry said posed no risk to residents' health. Crews are working to contain the spill, cordon off affected areas and carry out clean-up operations.

Satellite evidence and the tanker

BBC reported that satellite images from Monday, 19 October, showed the start of the slick from a ship matching the location and dimensions of Gem No.2, a crude oil tanker. BBC Verify and the intelligence firm MAIAR reviewed radar satellite imagery showing the slick spread rapidly over two days. A much smaller leak had first been seen coming from the ship on 19 October. By Wednesday, 21 October, the slick had spread more than 35 km (22 miles) from the tanker, according to satellite imagery. BBC said Gem No.2 had been damaged between 9 and 10 October, during what it described as a record surge of vessel strikes by Iran. BBC Verify said its analysis of the ship's dimensions and location indicated a match with Gem No.2.

Threat to island habitats

The slick extends towards Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, a globally recognised Key Biodiversity Area that contains corals, seagrasses and saltmarshes, along with green turtles and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish. Eoghan Darbyshire, a scientist at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, called the proximity to this area the "most concerning environmental angle". Oil spills can kill marine animals outright, for example by trapping turtles, smothering seabird feathers or damaging fish gills. Prof Steve Widdicombe, director of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, warned that species exposed to toxic compounds from the oil for longer could have impaired reproduction. Researchers caution that the environmental impact is very uncertain, depending on the volume and type of oil, how quickly it evaporates or breaks down, and how effective the clean-up is.

Conflicting timing and wider context

The spill is being reported against a wider wave of attacks on ships in the Gulf, with La Libre.be noting that many vessel attacks had been reported in the waters in the days before the spill was announced. BBC reports that a UAE statement on Thursday, 22 October, said the incident was affecting beaches near Umm Al Quwain, while Greek and Spanish outlets report the closure decision for Friday, 23 October. BBC also reported that verified video from Friday shows oil washing ashore and colouring the water black. Widdicombe told BBC Verify that an impact was inevitable, though he said it was too soon to assess the extent of the damage.

What comes next

The ministry said the closures will remain in place until technical teams complete their evaluations and define the necessary safety and environmental protection measures. Clean-up and inspection work along the coast is continuing. Researchers have not yet measured the extent of the damage, and the spill's proximity to the Key Biodiversity Area is the main environmental concern cited so far. No reopening date has been announced.