Oil spill off UAE widens, prompting more beach closures

• An oil spill from a damaged tanker off the UAE has widened, satellite images show, and is now close to Umm Al Quwain’s coast.
• Authorities have closed beaches in Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah while they assess the leak and try to contain it.
• Experts warn the spill is a serious environmental threat to Gulf marine life, with risks rising after recent attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

DUBAI – An oil spill from a damaged tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates has widened, satellite images showed, triggering more beach closures and raising environmental concerns.

Images from the European Union’s Copernicus satellite observation network dated Oct 24 show the oil spill has widened over the last few days and is reaching close to the shores of the northern Umm Al Quwain emirate, with dark layers of oil spreading at sea and along its coastline.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf shipping lanes have driven up security risks for maritime traffic and heightened fears over the conflict’s environmental fallout.

October has been the worst month for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waterways, according to data compiled by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank.

The UAE said on Oct 23 that efforts were under way to contain oil leaking from a tanker offshore, with its Ministry of Climate Change and Environment conducting an environmental assessment.

Authorities have not named the tanker involved in the incident or said what caused the spill.

However, experts told Reuters that the spill was coming from a tanker called the Gem No.2, which shipping sources said was a vessel that had been struck by an unidentified projectile in September, causing a fire that was later extinguished.

The images provided by the EU’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites showed a large oil spill coming from the tanker.

Authorities across various northern emirates responded to the spill by restricting access to coastal areas.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Oct 23 that all beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain were temporarily closed, while authorities in neighbouring Sharjah shut access to Al Hamriyah Beach as a precaution.

“The reported oil spill off Umm Al Quwain is a serious environmental concern. The temporary closure of beaches and coastal areas is a prudent precaution while the extent of the spill and the movement of the oil are assessed,” Nidal Hilal, professor of Engineering and director of New York University Abu Dhabi’s Water Research Center, told Reuters.

In Ras Al Khaimah, known for its beaches and luxury resorts, authorities said on Oct 24 that all beaches in the emirate would be closed until further notice.

The UAE’s marine life “is rich in fish, plants and corals, with over 500 different species of fish inhabiting the Gulf waters”, including dolphins and marine turtles, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says on its website. REUTERS