Authorities in the UAE have temporarily closed all beaches in Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah after an oil spill from a tanker was traced to waters off Umm Al Quwain. The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment confirmed on Wednesday, October 28, that the spill was behind a persistent fuel-like odour that had unsettled residents across several emirates for nearly three days.
Specialised clean-up teams, working alongside relevant federal and local authorities, are continuing operations to contain the spill and restore the safety of the affected coastline. Fishing has been suspended in the impacted waters as a precaution, though fish markets have continued to be supplied through imports from Oman, with no shortages reported so far.
The closures build on an earlier, partial measure: Sharjah had already shut Al Hamriya beach on October 23 before extending the closure to its entire coastline this week. Environmental officials are urging residents and visitors to stay away from the closed beaches until further notice.
The identity of the vessel responsible and the exact volume of oil spilled have not yet been disclosed. The incident has renewed attention on maritime safety standards and oversight of tanker traffic along the UAE's coast, an issue regulators are expected to examine as clean-up operations continue.
Officials say they will provide updates once the beaches are confirmed safe, and have asked the public to follow official channels rather than unverified reports circulating on social media.