Doha, Qatar: Registration for booking spaces for the six-month long 2023-24 winter camping season will open on October 22 and close on 31st for all designated areas.
Registration will be online through the website of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change . The season will begin on November 1, 2023 and will conclude on April 30, 2024.
This announcement was made during a press conference organised by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) yesterday. Addressing the press conference, Director of the Natural Reserves Department at MoECC, Salem Hussein Al Safran said that registration for booking places for camping in designated areas will be made in three separate stages.
“Registration for central regions will take place from October 22 to 24, while registration for the southern regions will be open from October 25 to 27. In the northern regions, registration will occur from October 28 to 31,” said Al Safran.
He said the ministry would also allow in-person registration at the committee offices in all camping areas across the country from October 22 to 31, 2023, in conjunction with online registration.
Additionally, the registration process for in-person attendance at external departments of the ministry will be open from November 1 to 10, 2023, subject to available spaces in case there are unreserved slots. Director of Public Relations and Communications at MoECC, Mohammed Ahmed Al Dahi said: “The permit holder must pay permit fees and insurance fees within six hours of receiving the text message confirming the approval of the application. Otherwise, the application will be considered invalid, and re-registration will be required.” The ministry has also updated conditions and requirements for camping.
“This update is in line with the ministry’s vision for the current camping season to be sustainable, with the aim of preserving the local environment in all regions of the country, including its distinctive plant cover and biodiversity,” said Al Dahi.
He emphasized that conserving the environment is a national duty for every citizen or resident, as this biodiversity is a national heritage shared by all citizens of Qatar.
Regarding the camping conditions, Head of the winter camping season team, Fawzi Al Shamari, said: “Requesting the same camping location as in the previous season is subject to the availability of sites and priority in applying for the site. If the permit holder violates any of the ministry’s conditions, the relevant authority has the right to remove the camp.”
He said the ministry has the right to revoke the environmental permit in case of non-compliance with the conditions mentioned.
“Permit holders are not allowed to obtain more than one permit, and they must allow inspectors from the relevant authority to inspect the camp when requested to ensure compliance with the permit conditions. If the inspection is denied, the relevant authority can withdraw the permit.”
Al Shamari said permit holders must start setting up the camp during the camping period in coordination with the ministry’s inspector, who must be present during the setup.