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 please download our guidelines document 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. 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 template which can be found by clicking the link here, and send the completed form to info@ifan-maritime.org. Alternatively, you can contact IFAN here.

Funding

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 template which can be found by clicking the link here, and send the completed form to info@ifan-maritime.org. Alternatively, you can contact IFAN by clicking the link here

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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IFAN supports UNESCO and IALA to provide ocean literacy training for marine Aids to Navigation managers

In a collaborative effort to enhance ocean literacy, safety at sea and the protection of the marine environment, IFAN supports two prominent organisations — UNESCO Ocean and IALA — to provide training on ocean literacy for Aids to Navigation (AtoN) managers worldwide.The initiative highlights the significance of a multidisciplinary approach in addressing the challenges set by the …

IFAN supports UNESCO and IALA to provide ocean literacy training for marine Aids to Navigation managers Read More »

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IFAN attends Ocean Decade Conference and pinpoints huge role of AtoN in joining maritime safety and marine protection

IFAN CEO Catherine Mulvihill and Development Manager Francesca Pradelli were delighted to attend the Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona (10-12 April). Here they discuss their key takeaways from the event. How was the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference? FP: It was busy! Both in terms of people attending it, around 1500, and in terms of number …

IFAN attends Ocean Decade Conference and pinpoints huge role of AtoN in joining maritime safety and marine protection Read More »

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Ship Management International interviews IFAN CEO Catherine Mulvihill

IFAN CEO Catherine Mulvihill was delighted to be interviewed for the January/February issue of Ship Management International, published today (29th February). In the ‘How I Work’ feature, she talks about her role as CEO, which she took up last autumn, and also lists what she sees as the vital assets that help the charitable organisation …

Ship Management International interviews IFAN CEO Catherine Mulvihill Read More »

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