This chapter describes inter-governmental and industry initiatives for spill prevention, preparedness and oil spill response (OSR) planning in East Africa and the Middle East, where mangroves are vulnerable to spills and other threats. The two main regional examples of oil spills affecting mangroves are deliberate spills by Iraq following the 1st Gulf War of 1991 (Saudi Arabia), and the "Katina P" innocent passage incident of 1992 in Maputo Bay (Mozambique). The scale of the Gulf War spills led to the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) programs on remediation of oiled shorelines, mangrove restoration, and nature reserves in Saudi Arabia. Also described are recommendations for mangrove mitigation and creative conservation in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of coastal developments (Qatar). Marine and terrestrial ecological sensitivities in East Africa and the Middle East are acknowledged and widespread, but often data-deficient. There are many important coastal areas with high biological diversity and abundance, including mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, saltmarsh, brackish and freshwater wetlands. The associated communities of fish, turtles, marine mammals and birds in East Africa and the Middle East are often linked by migratory fauna that are functionally dependent at certain life stages on mangroves and other, often adjacent habitats (e.g., mangroves occur in 57% of coastal important bird areas). Local economies throughout these regions rely heavily on natural capital for subsistence livelihoods and sustainable development (e.g., high value tourism). The chapter concludes that unless local communities are genuinely involved with, and also benefit more equitably from, extractive and other coastal developments, both directly and through local investments paid for by the taxes levied by their governments, there is a risk that they reject the industry"s license to operate. As described by Gundlach, and by Little et al. (in this Coastal Research Library publication), this negative point is illustrated by pipeline spills of 2008 followed by numerous subsequent spills from "hot-tapping" and "artisanal" refining in the mangroves near Bodo, Nigeria. The diligent protection, restoration and integration of mangroves into landscape-scale conservation that is inclusive of the rural poor are key strategies to avoid this extreme precedent.