Qatar’s Ministry of Transport has issued an urgent directive requiring all maritime vessel owners to temporarily halt navigation activities due to a technical fault in the country’s GPS system.
The Ministry announced on 4 October that the fault could compromise the accuracy of maritime navigation devices, posing potential risks to the safety of seafarers. The suspension is effective immediately and will remain in place until the technical issue is fully resolved.
In its statement, the Ministry emphasized that the decision prioritizes the safety of those at sea, ensuring vessels can return safely to port. Authorities are urging all maritime operators to comply fully with the directive.The Ministry did not provide a specific timeline for the resolution of the GPS fault but confirmed that updates will be shared as the situation develops.
To remind, in June, Bloomberg reported that commercial vessels operating in the Middle East are facing growing navigational risks due to widespread electronic interference, particularly GPS jamming and spoofing.
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As Wouter Deknopper, Vice President and General Manager of Maritime, Iridium Communications Inc. clarified in a previous article to SAFETY4SEA, a spoofed signal can quietly reroute a ship into restricted waters without detection. A jammed signal can delay a port call or interrupt a safety-critical maneuver. Each event brings operational and financial consequences- from regulatory violations and fuel inefficiencies to delivery delays and reputational risk.
Mariners must maintain heightened attention and awareness for signs of GPS disruption, as numerous onboard systems — including ECDIS, Radar/ARPA, Gyro compass, course recorder, and the autopilot , are heavily reliant on the GPS feed and will likely be impacted by any disruption, the Gard Club advises.
