MENAS projects

MENAS Navaids

MENAS has maintained all Aids to Navigation in the international waters of the Middle East Gulf, together with the approaches (Light Buoys) to the main GCC ports for over 60 years. In Bahrain, it has serviced Bahrain's outer and inner channels including local AtoNs for the Ports & Maritime Affairs (PMA-MTT), for 40 years and services Al Jeer; Maritime City; Al Jazeera and Saqr Ports in the UAE.

Maintenance

MENAS has conducted numerous maintenance contracts across the Arabian Gulf for entities such as Saudi Aramco (Juay’mah & Ras Tanura Channels); Fujairah Port; Sharjah, Hamriyah, Khor Fakkan and Borouge Ports, UAE; Messaied Port in Qatar and maintains all Aids to Navigation in Oman.

AtoN supply

MENAS fabricates and installs Aids to Navigation equipment for a number of ports across the GCC such as the Mesaieed and Ras Laffan Channels, Qatar; Borouge, ports in Kuwait and Saqr Ports, UAE together with ports in Bahrain.

Audit & survey

MENAS has also conducted various audit and survey projects covering all international Navigation Aids in the Gulf; local channels in Kuwait and all AtoNs along Oman’s 1200 kilometre coast, from Khasab to Salalah. At the request of Abu Dhabi Ports Authority, MENAS conducted a comprehensive survey of 1100 stations located in Abu Dhabi waters and has completed various AtoN surveys in Bahrain waters for corporates such as GPIC, Bapco, Ports & Maritime Affairs and Bahrain Fisheries.

To maintain AtoNs, MENAS has two operational teams (Offshore team & Onshore team) managed by dedicated project managers, together with contracted support by vessel suppliers in Bahrain and the UAE. The Offshore team is responsible for all offshore activities while the Onshore Team is responsible for all shore operations including AtoN yard activities. All MENAS senior personnel are highly experienced professionals with a broad depth of knowledge of the AtoN industry. All MENAS Senior Managers/Engineers hold the following training certificates:

• Lloyds ISO Auditors / Lead Auditors
• High impact leadership
• Risk assessment awareness
• Incident investigation & root causes analysis
• Different levels of Engineering Degree Certificates
• IALA Level 1- AtoN Managers
• Quality control & assurance of AtoNs
• High level management in Operating & Maintaining AIS / DGPS Systems
• Offshore Survival Courses, First Aid & Firefighting Courses
• UK Eng1 Medical Certs / HSE - Onshore/Offshore

MENAS conducts individual Aids to Navigation (AtoN) risk assessments for each area of activity undertaken using the most appropriate IALA risk management tools "IWRAP & SIRA" in parallel with other references, such as Admiralty publications, Nautical Charts & Sailing directions to determine which AtoNs should be installed in a specific location based on the volume of marine traffic and degree of risk in the waterways.

MENAS AtoNs are distributed into 8 zones, which are determined through usage factors, such as whether they provide mariners guidance in a specific area or whether they mark an isolated or specific danger. MENAS’ Operation Plan covers factors used to determine the risk to persons, facilities ashore, coastal environment, shipping, seafarers and the marine environment based on the principle that a failure of a single AtoN unit should not significantly increase the risk to safe navigation in any of the 8 zones under consideration.

For each zone, a Level of Service statement (LOS) for the type of appropriate AtoN has been developed together with an Operational Performance Statement (OPS) which defines the maximum operational capability of an AtoN within that zone. The combination of LOS for AtoN type and OPS provides a commitment by MENAS to all mariners navigating in each zone.

Also, MENAS use several resources together with IALA Risk assessment tools to study the hazards in specific areas for any client. The study measures whether the placement and specification of client AtoNs (as recorded on charts) provides the required level of service and optimizes the safety of navigation.  

The study focusses on the following factors to ensure if AtoN system reduces the risk of incidents and manages the client liabilities:

• Plotting traffic density in the area according to the vessel type & size
• Measuring the probability of risks
• Calculating the availability of AtoNs/systems
• Optimizing the quantity of AtoN required for the area
• Categorization of each AtoNs upon significance using IALA Categorization system (Cat 1, Cat 2 & Cat 3).

Deliverable reports: provided commercially & upon the request:

• Survey Report & assessment of individual AtoNs performance.
• Comprehensive Risk assessment report including the categorisation of each AtoN in accordance with IALA recommendations.
• Assess the existing systems and modernisation recommendations if needed to meet the recent requirements or beneficial technologies.