Several beaches along the United Arab Emirates coastline have been closed after oil from an attacked tanker began drifting toward shore.
Officials said the pollution had reached coastal areas around Umm Al Quwain, a northern emirate located close to the Strait of Hormuz.
Access to the beaches will remain restricted while technical teams carry out safety inspections and assess the potential impact on the marine environment.
People in Umm Al Quwain and northern parts of Dubai have reportedly noticed an unusual smell resembling oil. Images shared online appeared to show sections of sea darkened by the spill.
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said containment work was under way and that specialists had begun an environmental assessment.
The ministry said the reported odours did not present a risk to public health.
It nevertheless advised fishermen and other marine users to stay away from the affected waters and comply with official guidance.
As a precaution, Sharjah authorities also closed Al Hamriyah Beach on the northern coast, near the boundary with Umm Al Quwain, according to the Sharjah Government Media Bureau.
Beaches along the UAE coastline have been closed after oil from an attacked tanker began spreading through nearby waters
Officials said the spill had reached beaches near Umm Al Quwain, a northern emirate close to the Strait of Hormuz
Images posted on social media appeared to show large areas of blackened seawater
Satellite imagery indicated that the slick had travelled more than 22 miles from the tanker by Wednesday
Satellite imagery captured on Wednesday indicated that the oil had travelled more than 22 miles from the tanker.
The leak initially appeared limited, with oil seen escaping from the vessel on October 19. However, BBC analysis of satellite data showed that the slick expanded rapidly over the following two days.
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UAE officials have not identified the tanker involved or disclosed what caused the spill.
Oil spills can release toxic substances and heavy metals, threatening marine life, polluting water systems and creating serious health risks.
The closure of beaches, possible losses to seafood supplies and restrictions on boating could also inflict significant damage on the local coastal economy.
Martin Kelly, chief executive of Orbital Risk Intelligence, said the source appeared to be a tanker named Gem No2. Analysts said satellite images from October 19 and 21 showed a substantial slick originating 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.
He added that the slick’s proximity to the coastline increased the likelihood of pollution reaching nearby beaches and environmentally sensitive habitats.
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.