Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has intervened to rescue seven Egyptian sailors who have been stranded for months aboard the oil tanker "PETRO 1", which anchored off the coast of Sharjah in February.
In a statement published on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed that it did not move to action until receiving a distress call from the crew the previous day. Egyptian consular officials in Dubai were dispatched to Sharjah Port and contacted the crew directly by phone.
Emirati coast guard personnel also visited the vessel to assess living conditions and deliver basic supplies.
The "PETRO 1" is flagged in Panama and owned by UAE-based Petrofleet FZC, with operations managed by Luna Shipping LLC. The tanker has remained anchored off Sharjah since mid-January, following a short round-trip from Ajman port that ended in mechanical failure.
Mohamed Nabil Abdel Moneim, Captain of "PETRO 1", told Al Manassa that the vessel had departed Ajman following maintenance work but suffered a sudden engine failure, forcing the crew to drop anchor without authorization—a move deemed a violation by Sharjah coast guard.
Lacking both entry permits and ship ownership documents, the crew faced mounting legal challenges. Petrofleet reportedly instructed them to leave UAE territorial waters, leading to further engine failures and a circuitous voyage toward ports in Oman and Yemen. On March 30, they were instructed to proceed to Khalid Port in UAE, but the port refused to receive the ship due to lack of coordination from the owner.
In its statement, the ministry stated that it immediately contacted the ship upon receiving the sailors' distress calls to ensure their safety and to follow up with the relevant authorities.
In multiple public statements and a Facebook post, the seven crew members appealed for help from the Egyptian consulate, citing harsh and worsening conditions. They identified themselves as Mohamed Nabil Abdel Moneim, Mahmoud Fathy Abdelkader, Hossam Mohamed Mahmoud, Mohamed Hassan Al-Metwally, Yasser Ragab Bashir Harb, Sameh Abdel Azim El Dessouky, and El-Sayed Ali Saleh Ibrahim.
Abdel Moneim described the crew's living conditions as "disastrous", noting that the crew was left without potable water or food, forcing them to drink from rusty onboard tanks. One sailor developed eczema as a result.
Furthermore, power outages on the ship disabled lighting for days, leaving the crew to use flashlights to signal nearby vessels to avoid collisions.
In a Facebook post, the crew reported that the ship’s internet was cut off by the operating company after their plea for help was made public. “You acted too quickly. I had a solution, but now I won’t intervene,” the owner allegedly told one crew member.
According to its website, Petrofleet is headquartered in Dubai and offers oil tanker management, leasing, and repair services, including periodic dry dock maintenance and spare parts procurement.
