A popular stretch of Dubai's coastline was open as usual on Wednesday after an apparent oil slick kept swimmers out of the water a day earlier.
Bathers said they had oily water on their feet and swimsuits after entering the sea on Tuesday.
The contamination appeared to be isolated to a small strip of Kite Beach and Nessnass Beach, where red flags were up for a period on Tuesday.
Dubai Municipality officials on Wednesday said the water was safe and open for use and that beaches were clean.
One resident posted a video of oily water at Nessnass Beach in Jumeirah on Tuesday where red flags were up.
Others on a Facebook group also said they witnessed a change in the water, with one saying their feet and clothes were covered in oil.
The sea appeared black, with a strong, unpleasant smell, they wrote.
Purple flags were up for a time on Wednesday, which signals jellyfish or other marine creatures are close to the shore. The seawater appeared to be clear.
Oil spills are relatively common in the Arabian Gulf, a busy waterway packed with commercial vessels.
In 2020, officials said they would penalise ships whose captains rinsed out oily ballast water off the UAE coast, after a series of incidents off Fujairah and Sharjah's Kalba region.
Earlier this year, environmental officials in Abu Dhabi reassured residents that the Raha Beach area was safe and clean after algal bloom changed the colour of the water.
Algal bloom and sea debris carried by waves into the bay happens at certain times of the year and is not regarded as pollution, they said.
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
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