Lost due to the Iran conflict.

During the first week of March, as the conflict between the US and Iran erupted, delivery drivers like Saeed Ahmed continued working in Dubai. Midway through his journey, the map on his phone suddenly changed the route. The street he was on disappeared from the screen. Ahmed stopped and called his customer for directions.

"We find it very frustrating. Usually we know the way. But in unfamiliar areas, we have to constantly call customers, resulting in late deliveries and causing customer dissatisfaction," Ahmed told Rest of World .

This is not an isolated incident. Military forces in the region are deploying satellite jamming systems to intercept drones and missiles. These systems can completely block GPS signals or spoof them, causing devices to report incorrect locations. The jamming often spreads into populated areas.

The impact wasn't limited to phones. According to data from Windward, a maritime intelligence company, more than 1,650 ships in the Middle East were affected by faulty GPS signals on March 7, a 55% increase from the previous week. Ships were displayed incorrect locations in Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE. Nearly 1,100 ships were affected in just 24 hours after the February 28 airstrike.

"Any jamming signal will affect all GNSS receiving devices within range, including smartphones," said Thomas Withington, an independent electronic warfare expert.

Experienced drivers are adapting by memory. Muhammad Asif, a driver in Dubai for over 20 years, says that sometimes maps show inaccurate locations. "The map says 40 minutes when I only have 5 minutes left," says Muhammad Asif. In this case, he navigates by experience.

On logistics platforms, inaccurate location data causes a host of problems. Drivers are assigned the wrong orders, leading to inaccurate delivery times.

"Core logistics systems rely heavily on real-time location data. In GPS interference incidents, we've seen a significant impact on operations. Automated dispatch logic is disrupted," said Raman Pathak, CEO of Jeebly. Many companies are forced to revert to manual monitoring to manage deliveries.

"GPS signals originate from satellites 20,000 km above the ground. By the time they arrive, the signals are very weak and easily interfered with. A stronger signal from the ground can lead the device to believe it's in a completely different location," explains Jim Stroup from AQNav.

After more than a month of fighting, the drivers are still trying to adapt. "Before, we followed maps, now we have to rely on memory," Ahmed said.