Egypt

UAE Condemns Somali Pirate Hijacking of Egyptian Tanker

Are the Egyptian sailors facing a desperate survival crisis or is this a broader test of global maritime security?

Published MAY 13

UAE Condemns Somali Pirate Hijacking of Egyptian Tanker

Story

Above: Photo made on Jan. 7, 2010 shows an armed Somali pirate along the coastline while the Greek cargo ship, MV Filitsa, is seen anchored just off the shores of Somalia. Image credit: Mohamed Dahir/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday condemned the hijacking of the Togolese-flagged oil tanker M/T Eureka off the Yemeni coast, which was subsequently diverted to Somali territorial waters with eight Egyptian sailors aboard.
Middle East Monitor
Yemen Online
X
Yemeni authorities said the vessel was seized by pirates on May 2 near the coast of Shabwa Governorate in southwestern Yemen. The crew included Egyptian and Indian nationals, and the tanker had departed from the UAE port of Fujairah en route to Yemen.
Yemen Online
Kurdistan24
Mario Nawfal on X
Relatives of the abducted crew said the hijackers demanded a ransom of $3.5 million and threatened to kill the sailors if negotiations failed. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty instructed the Egyptian embassy in Mogadishu to monitor the situation and coordinate with Somali authorities.
Shabelle Media Network
Egyptian Streets
Qatar and Jordan also condemned the hijacking, with both countries describing it as a "blatant violation of international law" and a serious threat to maritime security and international trade. Both nations expressed solidarity with Egypt and called for the sailors' swift release.
Khaleej Times
Anadolu Agency
The Arab Parliament Speaker, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, described the incident as a breach of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and called on the international community to end criminal acts threatening maritime navigation.
Hiiraan
Gulf News
In April, three vessels, including an oil tanker, were hijacked off the coast of Somalia. Piracy off the Horn of Africa surged between 2008 and 2018 before declining sharply, but activity reappeared in late 2023 amid escalating regional tensions.
TRT World
Breitbart
guardian

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Jordan, Qatar and the UAE’s condemnation underscores that piracy off the Horn of Africa is not just Egypt’s problem but a direct threat to global trade, regional stability and civilian lives. When armed groups can hijack vessels and hold foreign crews for multimillion-dollar ransom, this becomes a collective security challenge, not a bilateral dispute. Stronger naval coordination and tougher multinational enforcement are essential to preventing a broader resurgence.

TRT World

Khaleej Times

Kurdistan24

Narrative B

The seizure of Egyptian sailors is a humanitarian emergency, but turning every piracy incident into a case for military escalation ignores why piracy resurfaces. Somali piracy thrives where state collapse, weak coastal governance and economic desperation create openings that naval patrols alone have never permanently solved. Protecting the crew must come first, but an enforcement-first response treats the symptom while leaving the conditions driving these crises untouched.