Ras Al Khaimah closes all beaches until further notice as UAE oil spill spreads to third emirate

Ras Al Khaimah authorities said on Saturday that all beaches in the emirate would be closed until further notice, a day after an offshore oil leak prompted beach closures in neighbouring Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah (Reuters).

The Public Services Department announced the closures in a statement shared by Ras Al Khaimah Police General Headquarters. No reason was given for the Ras Al Khaimah closures themselves (Reuters).

The United Arab Emirates said on Friday that efforts were under way to contain oil leaking from a tanker offshore, with its Ministry of Climate Change and Environment conducting an environmental assessment (Reuters). All beaches and coastal areas around Umm Al Quwain were temporarily closed until technical teams complete their assessments, and fishermen and other sea users were urged to avoid affected areas.

Authorities in Sharjah temporarily closed Al Hamriyah Beach, on the northern coast near the border with Umm Al Quwain, as a precaution (Reuters). Residents reported unusual odours in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, but the environment ministry said they posed no health risks, and the smell remained pungent across Umm Al Quwain on Friday.

UAE authorities have not named the tanker involved in the incident or said what caused the spill (Reuters). The National reported that Ras Al Khaimah’s closure follows Umm Al Quwain’s temporary closure of all its beaches and coastal areas and Sharjah’s sealing off of Al Hamriya beach as a precaution (The National).

Sources

• Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uaes-ras-al-khaimah-shuts-all-beaches-neighbours-grapple-with-oil-spill-2026-10-24/
• The National: https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/10/24/uae-oil-spill-ras-al-khaimah-closes-all-beaches-until-further-notice/
• Arab News: https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/uaes-ras-al-khaimah-closes-all-beaches-until-further-notice-3008025