UAE oil spill: Everything we know as beaches close and clean-up drive continues

Authorities across the UAE are stepping up efforts to contain an oil spill from a supertanker off the coast of Umm Al Quwain to limit environmental impact and protect precious marine life.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment confirmed the incident last Friday, stating it was the cause of a strong fuel smell reported in a number of emirates.

The ministry moved to assure the public that the odour posed no health risk and said clean-up operations were under way, with assessments taking place to best protect the diverse and abundant marine ecosystems that populate local waters.

A number of beaches across the country have subsequently been closed as a precautionary measure and to allow environmental teams to carry out key work.

Here, The National looks at everything we know about the oil leak and its spread.

What was the cause?

The climate ministry said on Friday confirmed that the UAE's technical monitoring and environmental assessment system had detected a tanker oil spill, affecting Umm Al Quwain’s beaches.

The ministry did not name the vessel, but international maritime agencies say the Gem No 2 was struck in a suspected Iranian drone attack on October 9 or 10. Twenty-two Indian sailors were rescued from the 330-metre vessel at the time.

Beach closures and fishing restrictions

The ministry said teams immediately launched containment work, including creating cordons, clean-up and remediation with local and federal authorities to “limit environmental impacts”.

Coastal surveys, monitoring and assessment are being carried out to help protect the marine environment.

Beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain were temporarily closed as a result to allow technical teams to complete assessments and identify safety and marine protection measures.

Fishermen and sea-goers were urged to follow directives from authorities and avoid fishing in affected areas.

Sharjah on Wednesday announced the temporary closure of all beaches as part of “proactive precautionary measures” to guard against the threat of marine pollution.

Sharjah Government Media Bureau said that specialist teams had been sent to prevent marine pollution from reaching beaches.

It called on the public and sea-goers to abide by the key safety measures and to follow official channels for the latest updates.

The directive comes after Ras Al Khaimah closed all of its beaches on Saturday “until further notice” and follows a move by Umm Al Quwain to close its beaches and coastal areas.

Show caption: Oil reached about 30km of coastline from Umm Al Quwain to Al…

Why swift action is key

Experts have told The National that containment was vital to limit damage to the environment and the UAE's marine ecosystems.

When dealing with oil slicks, preventing pollution from reaching the coast is typically a top priority.

If that happens, clean-up becomes harder and habitats can suffer lasting harm.

Rob Mortimer, chief executive of Dubai-based Fuelre4m, which supplies substances used to disperse oil slicks, told The National last week that the initial priority should be “to keep it all together” using floating barriers known as booms, allowing as much as possible to be recovered from the sea surface.

“It’s reasonably easy to do it while it’s all together,” he said. “Once it’s spreading and moving around, it’s more difficult. Even with the dispersant, you have to cover a greater distance … The longer you leave it, the more the oil gets dispersed.”

Inesaf Benzaki, campaigns lead at Greenpeace Mena, said timely containment was particularly important because the Gulf’s semi-enclosed geography limited the exchange of water with the open ocean, potentially allowing pollutants to persist.

“As these efforts continue, understanding the potential environmental impact will be important to protecting the area’s marine ecosystems,” she said.

Ms Benzaki said the coastline formed part of a wider marine environment where shallow coastal waters, mangroves, seagrass meadows and lagoons provided important habitats for marine life and supported coastal livelihoods.

She warned that even after visible oil was removed, residues could remain in coastal sediments and sensitive habitats, prolonging the spill's effects.

If oil reached the UAE coastline, it could “threaten sensitive marine and coastal ecosystems”, she said.