Abu Dhabi: Foreign Ministry has launched an urgent intervention to assist seven Egyptian sailors stranded aboard the Petro 1, a vessel moored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates since February, following a public appeal from one of the crew members. In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said it was closely following the case after a sailor posted a plea on Facebook to Egypt's Consulate in Dubai.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the message stated that the crew-comprising Egyptian and other nationalities-had been stranded near Sharjah Port for months without permission to dock or access the pier and with no explanation from UAE authorities or the shipping agent, Lulu Marine Solutions (LMS). The sailor said conditions on board had deteriorated, with no support from the shipowner and supplies nearly exhausted. 'Only canned goods remain,' he wrote in the appeal, signed by the entire crew.

He added that engine and generator failures had left the vessel unseaworthy, causing a four-day blackout and disabling navigation lights. The Egyptian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai contacted Emirati authorities and dispatched representatives to Sharjah Port. The UAE Coast Guard deployed a vessel to monitor Petro 1 and verify the crew's safety.

The ministry said it is working with UAE officials to clarify the vessel's legal status and protect the crew's rights and expressed appreciation for the Emirati response.