Ras Al Khaimah closes all beaches as UAE grapples with offshore oil spill
Residents reported pungent coastal odours across Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. The environment ministry says technical teams are containing the leak and assessing the shoreline.
Ras Al Khaimah has closed all of its beaches until further notice, authorities in the northern UAE emirate announced on Saturday, a day after an offshore oil leak prompted precautionary closures in neighbouring Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah.
The Public Services Department announced the closure in a statement shared by Ras Al Khaimah Police General Headquarters, without giving a reason. Beaches in Umm Al Quwain and parts of Sharjah, including Al Hamriyah Beach, had already been shut as a precaution after the leak was detected offshore.
The oil is believed to have originated from an offshore tanker, according to UAE authorities, who have not named the vessel or identified a specific cause. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said technical teams were working to contain the leak and were conducting an environmental assessment, alongside safety and marine protection measures, at the affected coastline.
Residents in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain had reported unusual pungent odours along the coast in recent days, with the smell particularly strong across Umm Al Quwain on Friday. The environment ministry said the odours posed no health risks, but the closures underline how disruptive the incident has become for emirates whose beaches are a centrepiece of weekend life for residents — including the large Pakistani expatriate community living and working across the UAE.
The incident comes at a time of heightened concern about maritime security and environmental risk in Gulf shipping lanes, some of the busiest waters in the world. Businesses and beachgoers across the northern emirates will be watching for updates on when the coastline is declared safe, as containment and cleanup work continues.
