After oil contamination of sea waters due to a leak from an oil tanker, the United Arab Emirates temporarily closed all beaches and coastal areas of Umm Al-Quwain.

In a statement published on the social network X, the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said that its monitoring systems identified the oil leak, which caused unusual smells in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al-Quwain.

The ministry said the smells “pose no risk to the health of residents.”

According to the statement, specialized teams have begun operations to contain the oil spill, cordon off the affected areas, and clean them up, in coordination with local and federal authorities.

In recent months, a tanker under sanctions related to Russia, named “Karolin Bzhenki,” which carried nearly one million barrels of oil, was also stopped after an explosion in the southwestern waters of Oman, and crude oil leaked from the ship.