08-03-2025
Automatic ship identification mandatory in Oman's waters
MUSCAT: Oman's authorities have made it mandatory for all ships – commercial as well as wooden dhows – to keep their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) in operational mode when traversing the Sultanate of Oman's territorial waters.
The measure is set out in a new Maritime Circular issued by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. Signed by Muhanna bin Musa bin Baqer, Director General of Ports and Acting DG of Maritime Affairs, the circular requires all ships to have their AIS devices in 'continuous operation when the vessel is in or passing through Omani territorial waters'.
Similar to transponders on aircraft, Automatic identification systems (AIS) are designed to automatically transmit the position, identification and other information about the ship to other ships and to coastal authorities.
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations require the device to be fitted aboard all ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards engaged on international voyages, cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards not engaged on international voyages, and all passenger ships irrespective of size.
In issuing the circular, the Ministry noted that it is exercising its prerogative as a coastal state under IMO conventions and treaties to 'implement precautionary measures to ensure the safety of maritime navigation along its shores'. Vessels that fail to comply are liable to 'legal consequences', it warned.
AIS tracking monitors a vessel's location and movements using its onboard GPS or an internal sensor within the AIS unit. This data, including the ship's identity, is transmitted via the very high frequency (VHF) maritime band. The transmitted information serves three key recipients, each with distinct purposes: nearby ships use it to prevent collisions, shore stations such as ports rely on it for logistics planning, and satellite stations distribute the data globally for stakeholders.
Since their global rollout, starting in the 1990s, AIS systems have helped enhance visibility of the real-time movement of ships as they sail from one destination to the next. As a result of this ability to monitor ships and their routes, international maritime bodies and shippers have been able to make informed decisions on efficient and cost-effective shipping routes. These measures have also helped strengthen the monitoring of shipping compliance with maritime navigation and environmental safety standards.
Of late, AIS-based monitoring has proved useful in detecting ships going 'dark' by switching off, or disabling, their transponders when engaging in illicit maritime activities, skirting international sanctions regimes, or simply masking their identity.
