Source : BRICS NEWS
ABU DHABI, October 23, 2026 – The United Arab Emirates has closed all beaches in Umm Al Quwain after an oil spill from a tanker was detected off its coast, BRICS News reported.
BRICS News reported the closure in a post on X, saying the UAE had closed all beaches in Umm Al Quwain following an oil spill from a tanker.
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Friday, October 23, that its environmental monitoring systems had detected an oil spill from a tanker, Reuters reported, according to Arab News.
The ministry said the spill had caused odours in parts of Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, but that the smell posed no health risk to residents. The three emirates lie next to one another along the northern stretch of the UAE’s Gulf coastline, which is home to many residential communities close to the shore.
As a precaution, all beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain have been temporarily closed pending the results of environmental assessments, the ministry said. It added that survey and monitoring operations were continuing.
Gulf News reported that clean-up operations were under way and that fishermen had been told to avoid the affected area until further notice. The National had reported on October 22 that residents noticed a strong smell of fuel along parts of the coast.
The authorities did not immediately identify the tanker involved or say how much oil had been released. It was also not immediately clear what had caused the spill, or whether the vessel had been at anchor or under way when the leak occurred.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in Gulf waters. On October 22, Iranian state television reported that seven vessels had been hit in the Strait of Hormuz, either in attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or by mines, according to Reuters. US President Donald Trump accused Iran of fabricating the reports to push up oil prices. There was no indication from UAE authorities that the spill off Umm Al Quwain was linked to those incidents. Gulf waters are among the busiest shipping lanes in the world for oil tankers, and the conflict has heightened concern over the safety of shipping and the risk of environmental damage along the region’s coastlines.
Umm Al Quwain, the least populous of the seven emirates, lies on the Gulf coast between Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, and its beaches, lagoons and mangroves are popular with residents and visitors. The emirate’s coastline is also home to fishing communities and sensitive marine habitats, making any spill a concern for local livelihoods and wildlife.
Oil spills can harm seabirds, fish, coral reefs and mangroves, and clean-up operations typically involve containment booms to stop the oil spreading, along with crews removing contaminated sand from the shore. Residents have been urged to follow official updates and avoid the coastline until the closure is lifted. The ministry has not said how long the beaches will remain shut, and further updates are expected as assessments and clean-up efforts continue in the coming days.
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