Saadiyat beach closure leaves residents puzzled

ABU DHABI // Residents on Saadiyat Island were alarmed to receive an email from property maintenance telling them that their beach had been closed on Sunday and Monday due to an “incident”.

The email failed to elaborate on why the closure, which lasted for several hours on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, was in place, but residents speculated that it may have involved a swimmer being stung by a sting ray.

Several beaches on Saadiyat were closed for short periods including the beaches at the St Regis hotel and St Regis Residences.

“We received an email from maintenance saying that ‘please be advised that due to the incident that happened today’ Saadiyat Management Organisation is currently investigating and will advise. Nothing seemed to be happening but it caught us by surprise,” said Fadi Saleh, a resident.

“Yes my kids and I saw what I believed was a sting ray and then later in the afternoon the lifeguards carried a man away on a board with his foot wrapped up,” said Julie Byrd who was on the beach swimming with her children on Sunday.

“When I was getting my kids changed they had apparently cleared the water and I was told by another beach goer that it was because someone was stung by a sting ray”

There has been no confirmation from officials on the reason for the closures, however residents said it was common for the beach to be closed for routine maintenance and precautionary measures