Flaring – the burning of waste gas during oil drilling – is taking place across the Gulf, including by COP28 hosts the United Arab Emirates. New research suggests pollution is spreading hundreds of miles, worsening air quality across the entire region. It comes as the UAE hosts the UN’s COP28 climate summit on Thursday.

The UAE banned flaring 20 years ago, but satellite images show it is continuing, despite the potential health consequences for its inhabitants and those in neighbouring countries. Analysis for BBC Arabic shows gasses are now spreading hundreds of kilometres across the region.

Pollution from wells in Iraq, Iran and Kuwait were also analysed as part of the study. All of the countries involved either declined to comment or did not respond Oil companies managing the sites, including BP and Shell, where flaring took place said they were working to reduce the practice.

David R. Boyd, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment said the BBC’s findings were: “Very disturbing. Big oil companies and states in the Middle East are violating the human rights of millions of people by failing to tackle air pollution from fossil fuels.

“Despite the massive human suffering, Big Oil and petrostates carry on with business as usual with total impunity and zero accountability.”