Merchant sailors are being stranded off the UAE's coast or in ports around the country as some operators refuse to pay debts and crew wages and concerns grow over a worldwide increase in abandoned vessels.

According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), 2024 was the worst on record for abandonment, with 3,133 mariners stranded on 312 ships, an 87 per cent increase on the 2023 figures when 1,676 sailors were left on 132 vessels.

So far in 2025, the number is on course to be higher, as 2,648 cases of abandonment have been reported from 259 ships so far.

The majority of vessels abandoned this year have been in the Arab world and Iran, where 95 ships account for 37 per cent of all cases, followed by Europe with 86.

Turkey has the most current cases on record with 43. In the UAE, the number is 32.

The ITF has said increased awareness among sailors of their employment rights at sea and robust monitoring measures have contributed to the rise.

The UAE has taken significant steps to protect the rights of seafarers in recent years. Under legislation introduced by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in 2021, owners of abandoned vessels face a Dh20,000 ($5,445) fine, with an additional Dh10,000 penalty incurred for each seafarer on board.

If repeated, the fine can be doubled and the company licence cancelled.

Meanwhile, an International Maritime Organisation event is to be hosted in the UAE for the first time in September, with maritime safety a leading theme.

The National has contacted the ministry for comment on the latest abandoned vessel figures.

Years to resolve

For crews, disputes can take several months, or sometimes years, to resolve, leaving many seafarers exposed to the harsh conditions on board deteriorating vessels.

“Unfortunately, abandonment is on the rise around the world,” said Mohamed Arrachedi, the ITF co-ordinator for the Arab world and Iran. “All the efforts have been deployed, but unfortunately it has not been enough to eradicate this phenomenon.

“Seafarers are aware when the ITF intervenes, they receive assistance, which partly explains why we receive more and more cases.

“Unfortunately, there are still bad ship owners who are treating their seafarers unfairly. It is more worrying to observe some operators are previous offenders who continue to abandon ships.”

Captain Surjit Singh, 45, from Punjab, northern India, who has two children, aged 15 and 13, was left aboard a tanker in Fujairah Port for 18 months in November 2020, without pay.

His crew were reliant on fuel and supplies from charities.

“We were transporting fuel and at the outset we had a crew of 18,” Capt Singh told The National.

“I asked for a dispensation letter from the Panama authorities to allow 12 crew to disembark the vessel, as the harbour master asked six of us to stay on board for safety reasons.”

The crew were owed about 14 months' wages, and many were unable to pay for school fees and medical costs for their families.

Five years on and only now has Capt Singh been paid the Dh143,000 he was owed after a lengthy legal dispute.

“The vessel was sold in 2021 but it took a long time to recover our money as some of the crew were disputing what they were owed,” he said.

'Ready to jump in sea'

“Things got so bad, some of the crew were ready to jump in the sea, it was very difficult to manage their mental health. I was away from my family for 15 months, so it was a huge relief to finally go home.”

Stranded crew on board the Med Sea Fox issued an SOS in August 2024 from Khor Fakkan Anchorage, about 25 kilometres off the coast.

The eight Indian sailors, two Indonesians and Syrian joined the ship on April 5, 2024 but were shocked to find poor living conditions on board.

“The vessel has been in a blackout condition for a continuous 16 days, with an accumulation of six months of rubbish which we had to burn,” a crew statement said. “Our salaries have not been cleared and when we approached the owners we were told our salaries would not be paid to us by them, but the agent.”

According to International Labour Organisation records, the vessel had not been formally inspected since 2023.

When a vessel is abandoned and confiscated by local authorities, it is auctioned off and the proceeds distributed to debtors, including crew.

There are 32 vessels facing unresolved cases, each flying under flags of convenience.

While some ships have recently been classed as abandoned, others have been listed for almost two years.

Life aboard an abandoned vessel - in pictures

Ships abandoned have crew from India, Indonesia, China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Georgia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Iran and the Philippines.

The Mahakal was left at Hamriyah Port on April 1, 2025 with its two crew owed three month wages of about $1,500.

According to a report filed by the ITF, the two Indian sailors were left on-board without electricity, food and water. On June 15, one of the crew attempted suicide, the ITF reported.

“We had a case of abandonment last year where a seafarer had not been paid for 14 months,” said Mr Arrachedi. “It was fixed only because the UAE government intervened, and the seafarer was paid in full and repatriated.

“But three months later, two seafarers on board Mahakal – a small ship that belonged to the same owner – were also abandoned. This impunity cannot be tolerated.”

Of the ships abandoned by their owners in UAE waters, 126 crew are collectively owed more than $1.3 million.

The Mission to Seafarers, an international charity with a regional presence to support crew, has delivered Dh38,000 of aid to a single vessel abandoned in the UAE since June.

“Abandonments place a significant toll on the mental health and well-being of those affected, and our welfare officers, trained in mental health first aid and pastoral support are on hand with help and advice,” said Ben Bailey, director of programme at the Mission to Seafarers.

“We work closely with the authorities, flag states and employers to find solutions.”

International regulations

Although some ship owners have faced genuine financial strife, others have exploited opaque international regulations to employ staff without fulfilling wage obligations, experts said.

Mohamed El Hawawy, partner at Stephenson Harwood, an international law firm with offices in Dubai, has represented insurers, port terminals and ship agents as well as crew members left abandoned at sea.

“There is now an obligation that, during any period of arrest, the needs, security, and safety of the ship and its crew must be covered,” he said.

When a ship is sold at auction, debts to the government must be paid before the crew, then seafarers are prioritised over other debts.

Outstanding debts often include those owed to bunker suppliers, port authorities and service providers for the vessel and crew.

“When an owner abandons a ship, they are effectively disregarding the crew's welfare,” said Mr El Hawawy. “I have a theory that some owners may abandon ships in the UAE because they know there is a support network here to look after the crew.”