Abu Dhabi  - A cargo ship and its crew have been reported missing off the Abu Dhabi coastline, officials said on Friday.

"We lost contact with the ship two days ago," said Muhair Ali al- Khatri, director general of the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA).

The unnamed vessel, which was carrying cars and trucks, went missing between Jebel Dhanna and al-Qarnain island, which lies 180 kilometres north-west of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

Al-Khatri was quoted by the official WAM news agency as saying that CNIA dispatched six rescue boats and two helicopters to search for the vessel, which had nine people onboard.

One passenger has been rescued after being spotted by the rescue boats. However, search operations were hampered by bad sea conditions and low visibility caused by sandstorms.

"We hope to locate the ship and rescue its passengers tomorrow when the weather gets better," al-Khatri said. (dpa)