The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment reported an offshore tanker oil spill on October 23, 2026 that reached the beaches of Umm Al Quwain.

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Houthi strikes near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait disrupted Red Sea maritime trade and severely reduced Egypt's Suez Canal revenues

Conflict and Environment Observatory researcher Leon Moreland stated satellite imagery from October 19 and 21, 2026 showed the Gem No.2 slick covering approximately 160 square kilometers.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment stated that unusual fuel odours reported across Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain posed no health risks.

Federal and local United Arab Emirates teams deployed containment booms, cordons, and cleanup equipment off the coast of Umm Al Quwain on October 23, 2026.

Attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz escalated following United States and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February 2026.

The Sharjah Government Media Bureau announced the precautionary closure of Al Hamriyah Beach near the Umm Al Quwain border on October 23, 2026.

Maritime firm Windward warned that uncontained oil drift threatened desalination plant water intakes and commercial ports in Sharjah and Ajman by October 23, 2026.

International maritime agencies reported the Gem No.2 was struck in a suspected Iranian drone attack on October 9, 2026, leading to the rescue of 22 Indian sailors.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment temporarily closed all beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain on October 23, 2026.

Maritime risk CEO Martin Kelly and security analysts identified the leaking vessel as the Panama-flagged oil tanker Gem No.2.

Shipping sources reported that the oil tanker Gem No.2 was struck by a projectile 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera in the United Arab Emirates on October 9, 2026.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it targets tankers using unapproved shipping lanes in the southern Strait of Hormuz near Oman.

United Arab Emirates authorities advised fishermen and sea users to avoid affected coastal areas and follow official instructions during the oil spill response.

Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported on October 20, 2026 that a VLCC-sized vessel was leaking oil about 25 kilometers off Umm Al Quwain.

Umm Al Quwain Municipality intensified field operations and coastal monitoring on October 23, 2026 to track the oil slick and manage remediation.

NYU Abu Dhabi director John Burt stated that uncontained oil reaching coastlines can persist for years in intertidal zones and damage coastal bird mudflats.

Shipping analysis firm Lloyd's List Intelligence reported 28 attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz during October 2026, the highest monthly total since the Iran war began in February 2026

Under U.S. Central Command protection, tanker operators have maintained oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz by conducting nighttime transfers with location tracking and mobile phones turned off

Air India and Air India Express suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam until November 7, 2026, and to Jeddah until October 31, 2026, citing regional security conditions

On October 23, 2026, the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv sank approximately 13 nautical miles off the Romanian port of Constanta after being struck by a drone