The Umm Al Quwain oil spill has closed every beach in the emirate, and Sharjah has shut Al Hamriyah Beach as a precaution. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) confirmed on Friday, 23 October 2026, that oil leaking from a tanker off the coast is behind the fuel-like smell that residents of Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain had been complaining about for days, and that residents in parts of Dubai also reported.
Key points
- All beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain are temporarily closed, according to MOCCAE.
- Sharjah closed Al Hamriyah Beach on Friday as a precaution.
- The ministry says the smell poses no health risk to residents.
- Fishermen have been asked not to fish in affected areas.
- No reopening date had been announced as of Friday evening.
What did MOCCAE say about the Umm Al Quwain oil spill?
In a statement issued early on Friday, the ministry said the UAE’s technical monitoring and environmental assessment system had detected a tanker oil spill affecting Umm Al Quwain’s beaches. Specialist teams began containment, cordoning, cleanup and remediation work straight away, working with local and federal authorities, the ministry said. Precautionary coastal surveys and environmental assessments are continuing to measure the impact and protect marine life, Gulf News reported.
The ministry has not said how large the spill is, how much oil has reached the shore or how long the cleanup will take. The National reported that the extent of the slick was still unclear.
Umm Al Quwain Municipality said its field teams are working along the emirate’s beaches to contain the effects of the spill, support cleanup and step up monitoring of the affected areas, according to Khaleej Times.
Which beaches are closed?
The authorities had announced the following two closures by Friday evening:
- Umm Al Quwain: all beaches and coastal areas. MOCCAE and the relevant authorities closed them until technical teams finish their assessments and decide on safety and marine protection measures.
- Sharjah: Al Hamriyah Beach. The Sharjah Government Media Bureau announced a temporary closure on Friday as part of precautionary measures to prevent marine pollution from reaching the beach.
Neither authority has given a reopening date. None of the official statements we reviewed announced beach closures in Ajman or Dubai. If you had planned a beach day this weekend, our guide to the best beaches in Dubai covers options further south along the coast, but check for official updates before heading there.
The smell residents noticed
Before the ministry’s announcement, residents in Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah, Ajman and Dubai had complained of an unusually strong, fuel-like smell, Khaleej Times reported. In Dubai, complaints came from Al Nahda, Al Mamzar and Deira. In Sharjah, the smell was strongest around Al Qasimiya and Al Rahmaniya, and in Ajman it was noticed in Al Nuaimiya, the Corniche area and Al Rashidiya.
On Tuesday, 20 October, Sharjah authorities told residents the situation was “safe and stable”. On Wednesday, MOCCAE said response efforts and field monitoring were under way to reduce the smell. On Friday, the ministry linked the odours to the tanker spill and said they “pose no health risks to residents”.
Which tanker is involved?
MOCCAE has not named the tanker or said what caused the leak. The National named a tanker called Gem No.2 as a possible source of the spill. Reuters quoted Martin Kelly, chief executive of Orbital Risk Intelligence, as saying the spill was coming from Gem No.2. No official UAE body has confirmed any link between this tanker and the spill.
The National also published a European Space Agency radar image from 21 October showing oil leaking from a tanker about 25 km off the Umm Al Quwain coast. Maritime intelligence firm Windward said satellite imagery from 19 October showed a large tanker leaking oil off the emirate, according to Gulf News. These are findings by independent analysts and have not been confirmed by the authorities.
Prof John Burt, director of the Mubadala Arabian Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences at NYU Abu Dhabi, told The National that containing a spill before it reaches the shore is the ideal outcome, because a “full return to normal can take years in the event that a spill reaches a coastline.” He said that after the 1990-91 Gulf War, mangroves and mudflats in the northern Gulf were among the areas that suffered considerable damage.
For its part, MOCCAE says precautionary coastal surveys, monitoring and environmental assessments are continuing to determine the extent of the impact and identify the measures needed to protect marine life, Gulf News reported.
What should residents do now?
- Stay off Umm Al Quwain beaches and Al Hamriyah Beach until the authorities reopen them.
- Keep away from any oil patches that wash ashore, which is the ministry’s advice, according to The National.
- If you fish or take a boat out, follow the authorities’ instructions and do not fish in affected areas. Gulf News reported that fishermen in Umm Al Quwain have stopped fishing in those waters.
- Get your information from official channels and avoid spreading rumours, as both MOCCAE and the Sharjah authorities have asked.
How can you follow the latest updates?
MOCCAE said it will keep the public informed about developments and the measures being taken as monitoring and assessments continue. The ministry posts its statements on its official X account (@MoCCaEUAE). For Al Hamriyah Beach, follow announcements from the Sharjah Government Media Bureau. Umm Al Quwain Municipality has also been issuing updates on its cleanup work.
Featured image: Umm Al Quwain beach. Photo: Mtabuco, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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