'All Hands On Deck': UAE Firms Race To Help Contain Coastal Oil Spill

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Some companies in the UAE have been working around the clock to help the country deal with an oil spill. Since the incident off the coast near Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah, local manufacturers and environmental specialists have mobilised equipment, expertise and manpower in a coordinated effort to protect sensitive coastal areas.

At the Umm Al Quwain factory of marine manufacturer Ecocoast, production lines have shifted into high gear. "Since the spill, our Umm Al Quwain factory has been prioritising oil boom production every day, operating in shifts 24/7," said Joachim De Jenlis, CEO of Ecocoast. "We have close to 10km of oil booms in production, a mix of fence oil booms and solid flotation oil booms in different sizes, and more requests are in the pipeline."

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The company's boats were mobilised on October 28, with teams on site preparing installations. "It's all hands-on deck," De Jenlis added. The comments come as the UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) confirmed on Friday that there was a "noticeable decline" in observed pollution intensity, as technical teams continue cleaning up.

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The urgency with which manufacturers and technical teams reflect the critical nature of the first hours after a spill. Dr Ivan Eremin, a UAE-based environment scientist and oil spill specialist, emphasised that timing is everything. "The speed of mobilising equipment and response teams is extremely important, particularly during the first 24–48 hours following an oil spill," he said, noting that as time passes, oil weathers and becomes "more difficult to contain, recover and treat using conventional response methods."

De Jenlis echoed this, explaining that deploying oil booms to protect sensitive areas such as beaches, mangroves and water intakes is among the first steps. "The sooner booms are in place ahead of the oil, the smaller the area affected."

The complexity of the response is heightened by local water conditions. "In that area, the main current runs north along the coast. But closer to shore, smaller local currents, together with the tides and the wind, can push oil in a different direction." This is why companies like Ecocoast use data buoys and proprietary software to calculate the forces that waves and currents exert on containment systems, he explained.

The ecological stakes are high. The Umm Al Quwain coast is home to green sea turtles, sea snakes, dolphins and birds including flamingos, terns, herons and Socotra cormorants. Oil can also damage mangrove roots and, in stormy conditions, affect coral around the outer barrier island.

Investing in readiness

Both experts stressed the importance of preparedness. "Investing in readiness means teams can act in hours rather than days," De Jenlis said, adding that local manufacturing allows equipment to be "produced, delivered and installed quickly, without waiting for international shipping."

“The city of Kalba keeps emergency oil booms on standby for emergencies, which is exactly what response teams and authorities should have in place for events like this,” he said.

Eremin called for stronger international cooperation. "Oil spills and marine pollution do not recognise national borders," he said. "Investing in preparedness, specialised equipment, trained response teams and joint exercises is an important part of protecting coastal environments."

For now, the focus remains on containment. "What we're seeing is strong coordination between the authorities, responders and suppliers," De Jenlis said. "Demand for oil booms is high across the industry right now, and the more capacity there is on the ground, the better protected the coast will be."

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