Qatar halts all navigation due to GPS fault
The country’s Ministry of Transport issued a circular ordering the stop on Saturday, October 4
GPS spoofing in the area has caused navigational issues for some time now, most notably when two tankers collided in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year
QATAR has ordered a halt to all maritime navigation due to what its Ministry of Transport called a “technical fault in the GPS”.
The circular, issued via social media platform X, said the fault could affect the accuracy of maritime navigation devices, and ordered all navigation to stop until the fault is rectified.
The ministry said the decision was made to ensure the safety of seafarers and vessels.
Only a few months ago, in June 2025, were the effects of GPS interference made apparent to the shipping industry in the region.
Frontline-owned, Liberia-flagged, 299,550 dwt VLCC Front Eagle (IMO: 9855343) and Antigua and Barbuda-flagged, 164,551 dwt suezmax Adalynn (IMO: 9231767) collided at 0015 hrs on June 17 in the Strait of Hormuz, likely because of GNSS interference in the area.
The incident came shortly after the 2009-built, Liberia-flagged, 6,969 teu MSC Antonia (IMO: 9398216) ran aground in the Red Sea on its way to Jeddah in May 2025.
A Lloyd’s List Intelligence casualty report suggests this is evidence that MSC Antonia was the victim of GPS jamming, with analysis highlighting spoofing patterns that resulted in the grounding near Eliza Shoals, west of Jeddah.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence senior data analyst Valerio Kim said the data “shows clear evidence of GPS jamming in the area at the time of the incident”.
“This may have disrupted communication with port authorities, potentially preventing draught clearance confirmation, a factor that could have contributed to the grounding,” he added.
