Welcome to IFAN

Welcome to the website of the only independent lighthouse authority in the world. The International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) is a registered UK charitable company headquartered in London (UK), with an operating division based in the Middle East Gulf, the Middle East Navigation Aids Service (MENAS). IFAN’s objectives are the promotion of safety at sea and the promotion of the marine environment in the Middle East and worldwide by all charitable means including directly or indirectly by providing and maintaining navigation aids, safety systems and safety information; promoting the use of modern navigation techniques and procedures and other essential maritime skills; and protecting and improving all aspects of the marine environment.

IFAN fulfils its objectives through funding of activities worldwide. IFAN and MENAS’s history began in 1911 and we have come a long way since those early days of the Persian Gulf Lighting Service. Hopefully, you will see the current activities carried out by IFAN, and our branch, MENAS, and discover our unique place in the world of maritime navigation.

To find out more about IFAN’s funding eligibility criteria and submit project proposals, please click here.

Supporting the maritime community

IFAN fulfils its objectives by funding global activities related to the promotion of safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment. The support that IFAN provides to the global maritime community is centred around three main areas: Safety and Environment, MENAS activity and Capability Enhancement. A list of past and currently funded activities can be found by clicking the link here.

Funding the future of maritime safety and environmental protection

IFAN is open to consider new activities to support the maritime community which are in line with its objectives. If you wish to submit a funding proposal, please use IFAN’s project proposal form by clicking the link here.

Should you have any questions, please contact us.

 

Safety and Environment

Enhancing maritime safety and protecting the marine environment through the provision of international standard Aids to Navigation (AtoN) is the core to IFAN’s mission.

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MENAS

MENAS is IFAN’s operating branch in the Middle Eastern Gulf. The operation of 54 Aids to Navigation assets and marine safety information for the region are coordinated from MENAS’s base in Bahrain.

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Capability Enhancement

Twinned with the provision of Aids to Navigation (AtoN) is the use, operation, and provision of capability enhancement through training and education. IFAN ensures that global standards are followed.

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Latest News

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Safe Seas, Protected Shores: Join Our Next Navigate with Care Webinar

The ocean is vast, but it is also vulnerable. Every vessel that takes to the water—whether a cargo ship, fishing boat, or leisure craft—relies on tools to navigate safely. Among the most important of these are Aids to Navigation (AtoNs), such as buoys, beacons, and channel markers. While they are designed to guide mariners and prevent […]
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MENAS/IFAN earns prestigious global health and safety award from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)

Middle East Navigation Aids Services – MENAS, based in Bahrain, has received a prestigious RoSPA Award, demonstrating its commitment to health and safety excellence. MENAS/IFAN won a Gold Award in the Occupational Achievement Sector, demonstrating its dedication to keeping staff, clients & contractors safe at work. Now in its 69th year, and with almost 2,000 […]
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IFAN Joins Global Maritime Leaders at World Marine Aids to Navigation Day 2025 in London

The International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) was proud to take part in the global celebrations of World Marine Aids to Navigation Day 2025, hosted this year at the historic Trinity House in London between 30 June and 2 July. The event, organized under the aegis of the International Association of Marine Aids to […]

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