Credit: Umm Al Quwain Municipality.
Morning. Steve Moore here. Beaches in Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah’s Al Hamriyah and Ras Al Khaimah have closed as the UAE deals with a tanker oil spill. The environment ministry says the spill caused the fuel-like smell reported in parts of the northern emirates.
Subscribe to Emirates Wire for weekday briefings on the UAE and its neighbours, with a longer read on Saturday.
Beach closures remain in place
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Friday that oil had reached Umm Al Quwain’s beaches, causing odours noticed there and in Sharjah and Ajman. It said the odours posed no health risk and that teams had begun work to contain the spill, put up barriers and clean affected areas.
All beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain were temporarily closed, and Sharjah closed Al Hamriyah Beach as a precaution. Ras Al Khaimah announced on Saturday that it would close all its beaches until further notice, without giving a reason.
Reuters quoted maritime risk specialist Martin Kelly, who identified the tanker as Gem No. 2, which shipping sources said was hit by an unidentified projectile on 9 October. That report did not name the vessel or explain the cause of the spill.
The ministry’s health reassurance concerns the odour. It has told fishermen and seafarers to follow official instructions and avoid fishing in affected locations.
Houthis claim further Saudi attacks
The Houthis said they carried out seven operations on Saturday, claiming attacks on Saudi oil facilities at Yanbu and Rabigh, the East-West Pipeline and airports in Riyadh, Dammam and Najran, Anadolu reported. The Saudi-led coalition separately said it destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Taif and Yanbu.
Washington updated its UAE travel advisory to warn of an increased threat of Houthi attacks, ANI said, quoting the notice on Sunday. The advisory remains at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel”, with no change to its risk indicators.
Saudi flight disruption continues
The National’s Sunday report lists Emirates’ scheduled restart dates as 30 October for Jeddah and 8 November for Riyadh and Dammam. It says flydubai has cancelled Riyadh, Dammam and Abha services through 29 October, with flights scheduled to return on 30 October.
Etihad’s own notice cancels all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh or Dammam through 5 November. The same date applies to Jeddah services EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604.
Check your booking directly with the airline before travelling. Treat the reported restart dates as provisional.
ADNOC changes the rules for suppliers
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has announced more than Dh60 billion in local manufacturing opportunities through 2030. The opportunities cover more than 200 products, including spare parts, as the company seeks to replace imports and shorten delivery times.
From 1 November, bids will be assessed with a 70% weighting for commercial terms and 30% for in-country value, which measures suppliers’ contribution to the UAE economy, The National reports. Contracts below Dh2 million will be exempt from in-country value requirements.
ADNOC also says its new supplier registration model will halve documentation requirements and remove prequalification for 60% of service categories. The changes accompany plans to tender offshore gas and oil recovery projects in 2027.
Sheikh Khaled heads to Ottawa
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, is due in Ottawa today for a two-day visit with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Canada’s announcement lists defence and security, energy, critical minerals, infrastructure, and advanced technologies as areas for discussion.
The visit follows last week’s investment forum in Athens. I will be looking for named projects and delivery dates in the Canadian announcements.
Dubai awards drainage work and sets bridge opening
Dubai Municipality has awarded contracts worth Dh3 billion for four projects in the third phase of its Tasreef stormwater programme. They cover about 100km of main drainage lines serving areas including Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim, Al Quoz, Al Barsha and Al Marmoom; the announcement gives no completion dates.
The Roads and Transport Authority plans to open the final bridge in the World Trade Centre Roundabout project on Friday 30 October. The two-lane, 1km bridge runs from Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street, a journey the authority expects to shorten from six minutes to one.
What I am watching
Egypt’s parliament is scheduled to resume debate today on President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s request to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia if the kingdom asks for it. I am also watching for an official account of the spill’s cause and reopening notices from the affected emirates.
Please share this briefing with someone living on the northern coast or planning a Saudi journey. Thank you for reading, and send stories, tips or perspectives to steve@emirateswire.co.uk.
If the beach closures have affected your work or your neighbourhood, I would like to hear from you. Please tell me where you are and what you have seen.
Steve
Emirates Wire uses AI tools to assist with research, early drafting, fact-checking and copy-editing. Steve Moore reviews, edits and personally approves every sentence before publication.