Oil Spill Reaches Umm Al Quwain Shores as Slick Spreads and Coastlines Close
Key Facts
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment detected an oil spill from a tanker that reached the shores of Umm Al Quwain, and the emirate temporarily closed all its beaches and coastal areas. The ministry said, "The UAE's technical environmental monitoring and assessment system detected the spill, which affected the shores of Umm Al Quwain." Specialist teams began containing, cleaning up and treating the pollution, while surveys and assessments continued. The closure followed the marine pollution reaching the shore, while authorities did not name the tanker or identify the cause of the spill. Satellite images later showed the slick spreading and nearing the coast, prompting precautionary measures to extend to beaches in neighboring emirates.
Images from the European Copernicus network, dated 24 October, showed the oil slick spreading and nearing the shores of Umm Al Quwain, with dark layers visible in the sea and along the coast. The images indicate the spill's spread toward the shore, but do not identify its source or the party responsible. They also do not establish that the pollution resulted from multiple attacks or that it extended along the UAE coastline. The confirmed facts center on the impact on Umm Al Quwain's shores and the closure of coastal areas in the north. Officials in Sharjah closed Al Hamriyah Beach as a precaution, while Ras Al Khaimah announced the closure of all beaches in the emirate until further notice.
Authorities have not announced the tanker's identity or the cause of the spill, while experts who spoke to Reuters linked the slick to the tanker "Gem No. 2." Shipping industry sources said the tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile the previous month, causing a fire that was later extinguished. The link remains attributed to the experts and shipping sources, as authorities have not confirmed that the tanker was the source of the spill. Available information has also not established who carried out the alleged attack, so it cannot be attributed to Iran. These accounts distinguish the spill reported by the ministry from a possible explanation of its source and connection to an earlier incident.
Reports of unusual odors in the area preceded the spill announcement. On 21 October, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said it was coordinating with local authorities to investigate them, and that its assessments had found no cause for concern. After the pollution was detected, the ministry said the odors noticed by residents of Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain posed no health risk. The ministry said, "These odors do not pose health risks to residents." The health assurance comes as beaches are closed and containment and cleanup work begins, measures linked to the marine pollution that reached the coast. The ministry did not say when the closed areas would reopen.
The spill comes amid an increase in reported incidents in the Strait of Hormuz. The Associated Press said October saw the highest number of reported attacks on commercial vessels since March, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor. The agency quoted Tehran as saying that seven tankers caught fire or were damaged in a single night after being struck or hitting naval mines. At the same time, the agency noted that some shipping companies have become less inclined to report incidents, a factor that limits how reported figures can be interpreted. Lloyd's List Intelligence said 28 attacks on vessels were recorded in October, the highest number since the start of the war, according to the agency.
Oil tankers continued to transit the strait despite the risks, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence data and analysis cited by the Associated Press. The agency said some operators were moving oil at night through a corridor close to the Omani coast, with positioning systems and mobile phones switched off. The transit takes place under U.S. military protection, according to the agency and experts it quoted. Spot tanker charter rates rose to hundreds of thousands of dollars a day through 22 October, reflecting difficult operating conditions and voyage risks. An environmental expert told The National that treating spills that reach the shore is costly and time-consuming, and that a full return to normal could take years if a spill reaches the coast.