Climateupdated 48m ago2 min read
UAE Reports Oil Spill Reaching Umm Al Quwain Beaches After Tanker Attack Near Strait of Hormuz
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Oil spill from tanker attack spreads along UAE coast reaching Umm Al-Quwain beaches. Beaches were closed and containment teams deployed to assess environmental impact.
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“prompted beach closures after a crude oil tanker reportedly struck an Iranian-laid naval mine”
“several reports are linking it to the Taiwanese VLCC Gem No.”
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Spill Near Umm Al Quwain
The United Arab Emirates reported an oil spill affecting Umm Al Quwain's beaches after a tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said it had “immediately began containment” to “limit environmental impacts”. Satellite images showed the oil slick spreading more than 35km (22 miles) from the tanker by Wednesday, and UAE authorities said the incident was affecting beaches near the northern city of Umm Al Quwain. The slick matched a crude oil tanker called Gem No.2, which was damaged between 9 and 10 October, and the oil leak initially appeared much smaller on 19 October.
UAE authorities verified video showing the oil washing ashore and colouring the water black, while the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said the incident was prompting beach and coastal closures. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said the containment, cordoning, clean-up and remediation efforts were underway, and the ministry also urged fishermen and other sea users to avoid affected areas and follow official instructions.
Size, Odors, and Closures
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said the spill affected beaches around the city of Umm Al Quwain and that beaches had been temporarily shut down until technical teams completed safety and marine protection checks. Satellite images showed the oil had spread more than 22 miles from the tanker by Wednesday, and the ship was believed to be the Panama-flagged Gem No 2. Residents in northern parts of Dubai and around Umm Al Quwain said there was an unusual oil-like smell, while the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said in a statement that any odours posed no health risks.
Researchers cautioned it was too soon to assess the extent of damage, and Prof Steve Widdicombe said it was “inevitable that there will be an impact”. The Al-Monitor report said the UAE temporarily closed all beaches and coastal areas of Umm Al Quwain until technical teams completed assessments and decided on safety and marine protection measures.
Threat to Biodiversity and Ports
The BBC said the spill extended towards Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, and it described the area as a globally recognised Key Biodiversity Area containing habitats like corals, seagrasses and saltmarshes. Eoghan Darbyshire said the spill’s proximity to the protected area was the “most concerning environmental angle”. The UAE relies on desalination plants for most of its drinking water and that much of the economy, including ports and industrial facilities, is also located on the coast, making contamination along the shoreline particularly sensitive.
The Al-Monitor report said maritime analysts warned the slick could threaten the ports and desalination plant infrastructure in the northern emirates, while it also said it has not been confirmed that the spill has affected those facilities. The BBC said oil spills can cause immediate deaths of marine animals and other organisms and longer-lasting damage if species remain exposed to toxic compounds from the oil, and it said researchers had cautioned the environmental impact was very uncertain at this stage.