Beaches closed in three emirates after offshore oil spill

Public beaches in Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain and Al Hamriyah Beach in Sharjah are closed until further notice after an oil spill from a tanker offshore reached the coast. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Friday 23 October that its monitoring system had detected a tanker oil spill affecting beaches in Umm Al Quwain, that containment operations had begun and that an environmental assessment was under way; all beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain were closed until technical teams complete their assessments, and the Sharjah Government Media Bureau said Al Hamriyah Beach had been closed as a precaution, Reuters reported. On Saturday 24 October, Ras Al Khaimah's Public Services Department, in a statement shared by Ras Al Khaimah Police, closed all public beaches in the emirate until further notice and asked the public to follow the instructions of the authorities.

The ministry said the odours reported in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain pose no health risk and urged fishermen and other sea users to avoid the affected areas; fishermen in Umm Al Quwain have suspended fishing there until containment and clean-up are complete. The authorities have not named the tanker or said what caused the spill; experts told Reuters the oil was leaking from the Gem No.2, which shipping sources said had been struck by an unidentified projectile off the UAE coast, causing a fire that was later put out. Satellite images dated 24 October show the slick widening and reaching close to the Umm Al Quwain shore, Reuters reported on 27 October, and Gulf News reported the same day that clean-up and remediation continue in Umm Al Quwain and that no reopening date has been confirmed for any of the closed beaches.

No closure has been reported for beaches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman or Fujairah. Visitors planning a beach day in the northern emirates should check with their hotel or the emirate's official channels before setting out, stay away from closed beaches and coastal areas, and avoid any oil washed ashore.