Doha has recently eased its maritime blackout, which was fully enacted on October 4 due to GPS disruptions. Qatar’s Ministry of Transport has now permitted daytime navigation, although nighttime restrictions still apply to smaller, non-merchant vessels. This decision comes despite ongoing concerns that the GPS “technical fault,” initially reported on Saturday, remains unresolved.
The blanket ban on navigation in Qatari waters coincides with a notable increase in GPS jamming incidents in the region. According to maritime analytics firm Windward, numerous vessels have experienced interference in the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, with some AIS signals indicating erroneous positions far inland.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has confirmed multiple reports of GPS interference, as detailed in their latest advisory. Their Electronic Interference Heatmap, which covers data from late September to early October, indicates persistent disruptions in the Red Sea, particularly around Port Sudan, along with new low-level interference near Jizan.
In the Arabian Gulf, UKMTO reported steady levels of interference compared to the previous week, but noted a rise in GPS anomalies around Iran’s Port of Assaluyeh. While disruptions around Yanbu, Jeddah, and Port Sudan have slightly decreased, they remain significant, according to the British maritime agency.
Share it now
