Authorities in Abu Dhabi seized dozens of neglected and abandoned vessels from waterways across the city. The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) said the 164 ships and boats had become a “hotbed of insects and rodents” and an eyesore. They were towed from Mina Zayed, Mussaffah, Shahama, Tawila and Al Bateen after their owners failed to meet a deadline to have them taken away. The campaign was run in co-operation with the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority. “The DMT urges the co-operation of community members in preserving the appearance of the city, and the need to report everything that leads to distorting the aesthetic image of the city's beaches, by calling the Maritime Accidents Centre on 996,” said the department.