UAE Closes Beaches as Massive Oil Slick Spreads Following Tanker Strike

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have closed beaches near Umm Al Quwain after a massive oil spill from a damaged tanker reached the coastline.

The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment stated Friday that it had initiated containment, cordoning, and cleanup operations to mitigate the environmental impact. According to Euronews, the slick has affected beaches in Umm Al Quwain, north of Dubai, where residents have reported the smell of oil. Satellite imagery analyzed by BBC Verify showed the spill had expanded more than 35 kilometers from the vessel by Wednesday.

The vessel involved has been identified by maritime security firms as the Panamanian-flagged crude oil tanker Gem No.2. Reports on the cause of the damage vary; Al Jazeera noted the ship reportedly hit a naval mine in early October, while the maritime security agency UKMTO reported the vessel was struck by a projectile on October 9, causing a fire. BBC Verify observed that a small leak was first visible on October 19 before rapidly spreading over the following two days.

Environmental experts are monitoring the spill's proximity to the Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, which are recognized biodiversity areas. Scientist Eoghan Darbyshire told the BBC that the threat to these habitats, which house green turtles and endangered Halavi guitarfish, is the most concerning aspect of the incident. Professor Steve Widdicombe of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre noted that while an impact is inevitable, the exact scale of damage remains uncertain.

Background

The tanker was damaged amid a surge of vessel strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. This follows the outbreak of a war involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran in February, which has disrupted maritime traffic in a waterway that previously handled one-fifth of the world's oil.