Investing in aids to navigation services as demand rises
As port and infrastructure investment in the Middle East continues to grow, the need for reliable aids to navigation and supporting industry knowledge is greater than ever.
Since 1911, Middle East Navigation Aids Service (MENAS) has been involved in developing and maintaining aids to navigation (AtoN) in the Middle East Gulf, and, more than 100 years since its founding, demand for its services and the breadth of its operations have changed dramatically, MENAS General Manager Mahdi Al Mosawi told Seatrade in a recent interview.
Along with the development, fabrication, supply and maintenance of AtoN, MENAS owns and maintains an extensive network of buoys, lighthouses, racons, AIS and differential global positioning system (DGPS) sites. It also provides essential information and advice, including issuing Notices to Mariners (NTM), broadcasting navigation warnings (NAVTEX), and advising on hazards to shipping and additions to navigation charts for the Middle East Gulf. Al Mosawi said while thousands of vessels rely on its services every month, mariners are sometimes confused about MENAS’ AtoN services and those provided by port authorities.
Al Mosawi commented: ‘What we provide actually completes what is provided by port authorities. For example, before approaching the Gulf, vessels can receive DGPS coverage and they can receive NAVTEX warnings from the Strait of Hormuz to change their route if there is any hazard or activity going on in their way.
‘We provide services to help vessels reach the fairway buoy – the gateway to a port channel – so they can safely enter ports and exit the Gulf. We have buoys marking the international passage until the fairway buoy of any port, which completes the services of port authorities like pilotage and channels.”
The Middle East region has experienced significant growth in traffic volumes, coupled with extensive port development, boosting demand for the work MENAS does.
He continued: ‘There has been a real increase in terms of pushing navigation warnings and notices to mariners. MENAS is asked to push alerts for activities like rig moves and vessels doing survey work for port developments.’
Data from MENAS showed NAVTEX warnings have risen from 171 in 2017 to 336 in 2023, with a peak of 423 issued in 2019.
Al Mosawi went on to say: ‘Growth in the region has been gradual and we have been able to see it coming, so we can can prepare for these increases in NAVTEX requests. For our physical assets like buoys, we have equipped monitoring systems to make sure components like the light and AIS are working properly, and those monitoring systems warn us of changes like a battery running low or a buoy out of position. This allows us to carry out preventative maintenance and attend issues immediately, making our operations more efficient.’
Growing demand and the march of technology has led the company to recapitalise its DGPS site in Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone Port, a project that is on course for completion by end of 2024. The new installation replaces a previous nearby site that was established in 1997, and the new investment in technology will bring better accuracy and longer range to the upgraded system.
AtoN services at MENAS are funded by Nav Dues or Light Dues, fees paid by vessels calling in the region. A rise in dues in 2023 was the first such increase since 2006. Mosawi said the company is keen to provide good value for the dues it receives by providing efficient services, as well as through knowledge sharing with regional governments and authorities. Al Mosawi continued with: ‘We regularly attend events like the Saudi Maritime Congress, other industry events and meetings with authorities themselves. In the old days, authorities didn’t know about the equipment we use, and now they are happy that we are willing to share our experience with them
‘We don’t just install equipment straight away, we trial them for at least a year or two and share the results of those trials and studies on the AtoN equipment with IALA.’
With its assets exposed to the hot weather in the Gulf for extended periods of time, MENAS hosted an international workshop on AtoN in hot climates, which led to the drafting of new IALA guidelines on the provision of AtoN services in extremely hot and humid climates.
‘We have the first and only light-intensity room in the region, where we can check that a light will give the necessary range required before it goes into service. We also test used lanterns in the room to make sure that the UV effect on the lens hasn’t faded the light, and that it still has the required range.’
In response to demand in the region, MENAS began providing AtoN training courses to port authorities and aims to bring its training to private companies in the future. It delivered its first level three foundation course on AtoN late last year, an event that was attended by government agencies from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The company plans to deliver its first AtoN technician/ engineer level two course in late 2024. ‘The main aim for these courses is to bring the knowledge of the authorities to the highest levels to enhance safety in the Gulf.’
‘As authorities in the Middle East mostly contract out their AtoN work, training gives them the knowledge to properly evaluate the services they receive,’ said Al Mosawi. Any eventual rollout to provide training to private companies will be focused on supporting safety and improving service levels, rather than for commercial gain.
MENAS is based in Bahrain and has a close relationship with authorities there, particularly with the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications’ regulator for shipping, the Ports and Maritime Affairs (PMA). Acting as a sub-coordinator for PMA under an annually-renewed agreement, Al Mosawi said MENAS is one of the most active regional sub-coordinators in the region, issuing a large number of notices to mariners and NAVTEX broadcasts.
In conclusion Al Mosawi reflected: ‘The reason behind that is that we have been here for a long time. We have good connections with governments and with marine companies, so whenever there is an activity or hazard, they contact us straight away and keep us in the loop to make sure that the charts are updated on time.’
Text based on material kindly provided by MENAS from its website news.
Rapporteur: Paul Ridgway
