Several beaches have been closed to the public after an oil spill from an attacked tanker began spreading along the United Arab Emirates coastline.
Dramatic footage appears to show the vessel—believed to be the Panama-flagged Gem No 2—engulfed in flames as burning oil pours into the sea.
Authorities said the pollution had reached beaches near Umm Al Quwain, a northern emirate close to the Strait of Hormuz.
The beaches will remain closed while technical teams carry out safety inspections and assess the impact on the marine environment.
Residents in the area and northern parts of Dubai have reportedly noticed an unusual oil-like smell. Images shared on social media appear to show sections of the sea darkened by the spill.
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said containment efforts were under way and that an environmental assessment had begun.
The ministry said any odours linked to the incident did not pose a health risk.
It urged fishermen and other people using the sea to stay away from affected areas and follow official guidance.
As a precaution, authorities in Sharjah also temporarily closed Al Hamriyah Beach on the UAE’s northern coast, near the border with Umm Al Quwain, according to the Sharjah Government Media Bureau.
Beaches have been closed to the public after oil from an attacked tanker began spreading along the United Arab Emirates coastline
Authorities said the spill had reached beaches near Umm Al Quwain, a northern emirate close to the Strait of Hormuz
Images shared on social media appear to show the sea almost completely blackened
Satellite imagery showed on Wednesday that the oil had travelled more than 22 miles from the tanker
Satellite imagery showed on Wednesday that the slick had spread more than 22 miles from the tanker.
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The leak initially appeared far smaller, with oil seen emerging from the vessel on October 19. However, satellite analysis by the BBC indicated that it had expanded rapidly over the following two days.
UAE authorities have not identified the tanker involved or explained what caused the spill.
Oil spills can release toxic chemicals and heavy metals, threatening wildlife, contaminating water systems and causing serious health problems.
Beach closures, potential damage to seafood stocks and restrictions on boating could also deliver a severe blow to the local coastal economy.
Martin Kelly, chief executive of Orbital Risk Intelligence, said the spill was coming from a tanker named the Gem No 2. Analysts said satellite images from October 19 and 21 appeared to show a substantial slick emanating from the vessel.
“The slick is considerably larger, covering approximately 160 km2, and looks to be coming from the ship,” said Leon Moreland, a researcher at the Conflict and Environment Observatory.
‘Furthermore, a slick this close to shore increases the chance it could impact nearby beaches and ecologically sensitive habitats,’ he said.
Shipping sources said on October 9 that the Gem No2 was struck by an unidentified projectile 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera in the UAE, causing a fire that was later extinguished.
While no group claimed responsibility, maritime security sources said at the time that the incident occurred outside the Strait of Hormuz and pointed to a widening of risks for commercial shipping. Earlier that week, a tanker was also struck off the coast of Qatar inside the Gulf.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward first identified the spill on Tuesday, writing in a post on X that a VLCC-sized vessel was leaking oil about 25km (16 miles) off Umm Al Quwain.
Prevailing currents, it said at the time, could carry the slick southwest toward the UAE coastline.
‘Windward’s drift model shows it reaching Sharjah’s and Ajman’s desalination intakes and ports by (October 22–23) if the leak isn’t stopped,’ it wrote on X.
The UAE relies on desalination plants for most of its drinking water, and much of the economy – including ports and industrial facilities – is also located on the coast, making any contamination along its shoreline particularly sensitive.
The spill follows a separate tanker-related environmental incident in August, when oil from a tanker that ran aground off Oman began reaching the mainland coast.
