IFAN Board confirms no increase in MENAS Navigational Light Dues

The Middle East Navigation Aids Service (MENAS) has confirmed that its Navigational Light Dues, commonly known as Nav Dues, will remain unchanged for 2026. 

This decision follows a review by the Board of the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) and reflects MENAS’s continued commitment to delivering essential services that support the provision of Aids to Navigation in the Gulf which enables maritime safety and protects the marine environment. 

MENAS has been providing Aids to Navigation in the Middle East Gulf, one of the world’s busiest trade lanes, for over 100 years. Its network of buoys, lighthouses, racons, and associated safety services (including DGPS and NavTex) provides seafarers with vital information on routes, hazards, and safe passage through complex waters. 

The cost of operating and maintaining these Aids to Navigation is covered through Nav Dues, which are paid by shipowners in relation to the net tonnage of their vessels on their first port of entry into the Gulf. MENAS operates these services at cost, ensuring that all income collected through Nav Dues is reinvested directly into the provision, maintenance, and improvement of navigation services. 

MENAS reviewed its Nav Dues in 2023 to reflect rising operational costs, including increases in materials, energy, and staffing, as well as the ongoing need to maintain and modernize critical equipment, and confirmed that NavDues would be kept under annual review. 

Despite continued financial pressures within the maritime industry, the IFAN Board has carefully reviewed MENAS’s financial position and concluded that NavDues can be maintained at their current level. 

“Our priority has always been to deliver reliable, high quality Aids to Navigation in the interest of safety at sea and environmental protection,” said Catherine Mulvihill, Chief Executive Officer of IFAN. “Following a detailed review, the Board is satisfied that MENAS can continue to operate on a sound financial footing without increasing Navigational Light Dues in 2026.” 

She added, “MENAS exists to serve the maritime community. By maintaining stable dues, we are reaffirming our not for profit mandate and our commitment to shipowners, crews, and coastal states that rely on these services every day.” [For immediate release] 

“Aids to Navigation provided by MENAS reduce risk in the Gulf and contribute directly to safer shipping.,” said Catherine Mulvihill. “We trust that shipowners, operators, masters and their crew will continue to recognize the value of these services and the importance of supporting their long term, reliable operation.” 

MENAS’ Navigational Light Dues will be reviewed again at the end of 2026.