These legal locations for camping are specified along with the instructions on the official website of the municipality: www.baladia.gov.kw.

The camping season in Kuwait began on Nov 15 and will end on March 15, 2018. During Kuwait's camping season, people can register the location of their camp after paying a fee and deposit. Certain sites have been allocated by the Municipality for camping, which people have been urged to respect. These legal locations for camping are specified along with the instructions on the official website of the municipality: www.baladia.gov.kw. The applicant will have to pay a fee of KD 50 and a deposit of KD 300 during the registration. The applicant will get the deposit back after leaving the campsite at the end of the season without any violations.

The camping locations are in two governorates: Ahmadi and Jahra. "There are eight camping areas within the two governorates spread over 640 square kilometers. These include four service and security locations, where staff from the interior ministry, health ministry and the municipality are present. The municipality also issues licenses to cooperative societies to set up temporary markets to serve the campers," Abdulmuhsen Abalkhail, Public Relations manager for Municipality told Kuwait Times.

"Those who want to set up a camp can choose the exact location on the municipality application according to the GPS. Sometimes people don't reach the correct location. But if they reach the correct location and find other people camping there, they can complain, as this camp will be illegal and our inspectors will remove it," he said. "Illegal camps will be removed by the Municipality after posting a warning letter, and the owner of the camp will have to pay for the removal expenses. But illegal camps pitched at legal locations can get a license," he explained.

Conditions

"The applicant should be at least 21 years old of any nationality and should register on the municipality website, where he has to enter the GPS location and pay the fee and deposit. He should also register the same telephone number that is registered with his bank account to receive the password to complete the registration. Two weeks after the camping season ends, he will get back the deposit in the same bank account," stressed Abalkhail.

Fines

"People should avoid using cement for building their camps, disturbing the soil, littering and other harmful activities. According to environment law no. 42/2016, environmental violations can result in heavy fines - up to KD 5,000. Municipal inspectors are now authorized to issue fines for environmental violations, in addition to municipal violations," he said.

Almost 1,000 licenses have been issued by the municipality this season. "Every person who registers for a camp on the website is entitled to an area of 1,000 square meters. This year, a new condition was added to the regular procedures of registration - that after the camping season ends, the camper should obtain an official letter from the Environment Public Authority stating the campsite is free of violations. Only then will he get back his deposit," concluded Abalkhail.

By Nawara Fattahova