UAE closes beaches as oil spill from struck tanker Gem No.2 reaches coast

Emergency crews in the United Arab Emirates are working to contain a widening oil slick that washed ashore on Friday, forcing authorities to shut public beaches across the northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain and part of neighbouring Sharjah.

The slick traces back to the Panama-flagged crude tanker Gem No.2, which was damaged on 9 October by an unidentified projectile roughly 13 nautical miles off the UAE coast near Al Jazeera Al Hamra. The vessel caught fire during a spike in maritime strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. All 22 Indian crew members aboard were evacuated without injury, the Indian consulate in Dubai confirmed shortly after the rescue, reflecting New Delhi's swift consular coordination and close engagement in safeguarding its nationals across vital Gulf trade lanes.

Black crude began colouring the shoreline black at Umm Al Quwain by Friday morning, following days of strong chemical odours reported by coastal residents across northern districts, including parts of Dubai.

Containment teams deploy cordons

The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said it launched immediate containment, cordoning, and remediation operations to restrict the ecological fallout. Authorities ordered all beaches and coastal recreational areas around Umm Al Quwain closed until safety teams complete marine surveys, while warning local fishermen to keep their vessels clear of the area.

To the south, authorities in Sharjah shut Al Hamriyah Beach as a precaution because prevailing currents threatened to push the crude towards local ports and water infrastructure. The Gulf coastline houses extensive seawater desalination plants that supply the majority of the country's municipal drinking water.

Ecological and shipping fallout

Satellite imagery reviewed by maritime tracking services showed the slick spreading more than 35 kilometres from the disabled vessel by midweek, with analysts at the Conflict and Environment Observatory calculating that the surface sheen spans roughly 160 square kilometres.

Marine scientists at the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre warned that lingering petroleum compounds threaten vital shallow habitats. The slick sits dangerously close to Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, recognised key biodiversity areas that support sea turtles, coastal mangrove beds, and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish.

The strike on Gem No.2 came amid elevated regional tensions that have severely disrupted commercial shipping along the entrance to the Persian Gulf, through which roughly a fifth of global petroleum normally passes. With commercial lanes under persistent pressure, Indian maritime authorities and regional naval missions have maintained intense vigilance to secure vital energy transport routes and protect seafaring personnel across the northern Indian Ocean and Gulf passages.