MENAS, based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, has received a prestigious RoSPA Award, demonstrating their commitment to the highest standards in accident prevention. For the third consecutive year, MENAS/IFAN won a Gold Award in the Occupational Achievement Sector, demonstrating its dedication to keeping staff, customers, clients and contractors safe at work.
Operating in some of the world’s busiest and most demanding maritime environments, MENAS teams deliver and maintain critical navigation infrastructure at sea and along complex coastlines, where safety is essential to every operation. MENAS’ strong safety culture directly underpins the reliability of Aids to Navigation across the region, helping to ensure safer shipping routes while reducing risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the RoSPA Awards, which began as a small event to recognise the achievements of companies prioritising the safety of workers in UK, and has now grown into the biggest and most prestigious health and safety awards programme in the world, with the 2026 awards attracting 2,000 different entries from nearly 60 countries.
Entrants to the RoSPA Awards come from organisations of all sizes, ranging from SMEs to blue chip companies. As well as offering non-competitive achievement awards – in which Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merits are awarded – entrants can bid to be crowned the winner across a range of industry sectors such as construction, manufacturing and entertainment, all judged by leading experts.
The application process enables entrants to enhance their health and safety standards by encouraging reflecting practice, which contributes to continuing professional development (CPD), and emphasising the importance of ongoing learning to reducing workplace accidents. In receiving a RoSPA Award MENAS/IFAN are part of a proud legacy of organisations dedicated to keeping workers and the public safe.
Catherine Mulvihill, MENAS/IFAN Chief Executive Officer, said:
“Receiving a third consecutive RoSPA Gold Award is a meaningful recognition of MENAS’ sustained commitment to safety, not only as a standard, but as a core value that underpins every aspect of our operations. In a sector where reliability and precision are essential, protecting our teams, partners, and the wider maritime community is fundamental to delivering safe navigation services. This recognition reflects the dedication of our colleagues in Bahrain and across the region, who continue to uphold the highest standards in accident prevention and operational excellence.”
Mahdi Al Mosawi, MENAS General Manager, said:
“This recognition reflects the discipline and care that our teams bring to their work every day, often in demanding offshore conditions where there is no margin for error. At MENAS, safety is inseparable from our mission, because protecting our people is the foundation for delivering reliable Aids to Navigation services across the region. We place a strong emphasis on training, preparedness, and looking out for one another, ensuring that every operation is carried out with the highest standards of professionalism and responsibility.”
Julia Small, RoSPA’s Growth Director, said:
“RoSPA congratulates MENAS/IFAN, on their RoSPA Health and Safety Award. The high standards MENAS/IFAN, has achieved are the result of hard work and dedication, of which MENAS/IFAN, should be rightfully proud and which RoSPA is delighted to honour. 2026 is a landmark year for the RoSPA Awards as we reflect on how far workplace safety has come in 70 years. It is because of the commitment of health and safety leaders like MENAS/IFAN, that people today are safer at work than in the past, and sets an inspiring example for the future.”
The RoSPA Awards are sponsored by the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), a leading global organisation, which provides internationally-recognised health, safety and environmental qualifications that raise the competence of safety and environmental professionals as well as individuals at all levels in the workplace.
Dee Arp, NEBOSH Chief Quality Officer and the Head Judge of the RoSPA Awards, said:
“NEBOSH is proud to be the headline sponsor of the RoSPA Awards. They provide an opportunity to celebrate excellence in health and safety, while also helping to strengthen a culture of care, accountability and continuous improvement. These awards are a powerful reminder that protecting people transcends borders, and that supporting employees to return home safe, healthy and happy each day is fundamental to long-term success and resilience.”
Going forward, MENAS continues to invest in training, systems, and continuous improvement to strengthen its safety performance and support safe, sustainable navigation across the Middle East Gulf.
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About the Middle East Navigation Aids Service
The Middle East Navigation Aids Service (MENAS) is the leading provider of Aids to Navigation (AtoN) services in the Middle East Gulf, supporting safe and efficient maritime operations across the region. With over a century of experience, MENAS designs, delivers, and maintains critical navigation infrastructure, including buoys, lighthouses, racons, Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) sites, alongside essential maritime information services such as Notices to Mariners and navigation warnings. Operating from Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, MENAS supports more than 2,000 vessels each month. As the regional operations arm of the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation, MENAS contributes to safer shipping, reduced environmental risk, and the protection of marine ecosystems through high-quality, internationally recognized navigation services.
About the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation
The International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing maritime safety, protecting marine ecosystems, and strengthening global navigation capabilities. IFAN ensures safer and more efficient shipping routes while minimizing environmental risks by supporting projects focused on enhancing Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) frameworks, developing technical expertise, and providing AtoN infrastructure. Through strategic partnerships, funding, and technical expertise, IFAN plays a pivotal role in securing safe, sustainable global waterways and safeguarding the world’s ocean for future generations.
About the RoSPA Awards
The RoSPA Awards now celebrates its 70th year as the UK’s largest and most impactful health and safety programme. With 2,000 entries annually from over 60 countries, impacting over seven million employees, they offer a platform to spotlight an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in health and safety. Whether entrants seek non-competitive excellence recognition or vie for competitive awards across 20 industry sectors, the RoSPA Awards provide an unparalleled opportunity to stand among leaders shaping safer, healthier workplaces.
About the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
RoSPA is a leading voice in health and safety that campaigns to reduce avoidable accidents. Our vision is to create a life free from accidental injury, and with the support of our members, this is at the core of everything we do. We lobby Government on issues that matter, pioneer the world’s largest health and safety awards and provide a suite of RoSPA qualifications that help learners and employers keep their colleagues safe from accidents and ill-health.
