UAE Closes Beaches in Sharjah Due to Oil Spill in Persian Gulf
Sharjah authorities announced on 28 October the temporary closure of all emirate beaches due to the oil spill in the Persian Gulf. Opening dates have not yet been announced.
Gurban Gurbanzadeh2 min read
In the United Arab Emirates, beaches are being closed due to a large-scale oil spill in the Persian Gulf. According to Kursiv Media Kazakhstan, pollution has reached coastal areas, and videos showing dark water on the sea surface have appeared on social media.
Cause and scale of the pollution
According to the sources cited, the pollution resulted from a fuel leak from the damaged tanker Gem No. 2. The vessel was previously damaged in an incident and fire off the UAE coast. According to satellite monitoring data, the oil slick spread tens of kilometres and reached the northern coast of the country.
On 28 October, the Sharjah authorities announced the temporary closure of all emirate beaches as a precautionary measure. Earlier, restrictions were introduced in Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. Opening dates for the beaches have not yet been announced.
Situation in other emirates
According to information from travel agencies and tour operators, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah are operating normally, and beaches in these emirates are, in their words, completely safe for tourists. Specialists say they are working to address the consequences promptly in the affected regions.
Holidaymakers in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah say that they were still buying children's snacks before lunch, and in the second half of the day the shore was covered with traces of oil. Afterwards, hotels abruptly restricted access to the sea. Some tourists who arrived for a beach holiday expressed deep dismay.
One user wrote: "This is a catastrophe!" Another noted that the beaches at Marjan Island are closed. Another tourist wrote that they had bought the Sheraton hotel nearby and are due to fly out on 1 November.
Earlier, Kursiv Media Kazakhstan reported that in May 2026 Khor Al Mamzar was opened in Dubai, which the emirate's municipality described as the first permanent public beach in the world intended exclusively for women.
Source: kz.kursiv.media
