KUWAIT CITY, Nov 16: Chairman of the Spring Camps Committee at Kuwait Municipality Faisal Al-Otaibi confirmed that the mechanism and requirements applied in the 2024/2025 camping season will be implemented this season as well -- from Nov 15, 2025 to March 15, 2026. Speaking to the newspaper, Al-Otaibi stressed the necessity of adhering to the conditions of the Municipality for obtaining camping permits in the 11 designated sites. He affirmed that the issuance of camping permits for the government sector is through the specified online platform, while that for private companies has yet to be activated, though he expects it will be announced soon. He said 12 camping sites were allocated for cooperative societies, indicating that the permit fee for the government sector is KD250 along with a KD500 deposit, which will be refunded at the end of the season and once compliance with environmental regulations is verified.

He added the requirements include maintaining safe distances between campsites and vital installations (100 meters between campsites, two kilometers from military installations, 500 meters from nature reserves and oil stations, and 100 meters from high-voltage power lines). He also stressed the need to provide safety equipment like fire extinguishers and first-aid kits, protect the environment, and refrain from causing harm to wildlife or making alterations to the camping site, such as digging or installing permanent structures. He said the prohibitions that warrant penalties, license revocation, and the complete removal of the camping site include hunting or killing wildlife, grazing within the campsite boundaries, using fireworks, and renting licensed campsites to others. He warned that the fine could be as much as KD5,000 in case of violation.

Meanwhile, with the start of the camping season, Director of Public Relations and Media at the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) Brigadier General Mohammed Al- Gharib urged everyone to follow safety guidelines in the desert to prevent potential hazards such as fl ash fl oods, fires, electrical accidents, or reptile bites. In a press statement, Brigadier General Al-Gharib advised campers to pitch tents in elevated areas to avoid being swept away by fl ash fl oods during rainfall, stay away from ground fissures that serve as habitats for reptiles, choose locations far from power pylons, high-voltage lines, oil fields, and oil installations, and select areas free of dry vegetation to minimize the risk of fire.

Brigadier General Al-Gharib emphasized the importance of pitching tents upwind to prevent them from being blown away by debris, keeping a distance of at least six meters between tents to reduce the risk of fire spreading, ensuring electrical wiring is safe to avoid short circuits, placing gas cylinders outside the kitchen tent, turning off generators after refueling and keeping them away from heat sources, and cleaning up any spilled fuel before operating the generator. He also stressed the need to remove and extinguish charcoal bins before sleeping, turn off generators and all electrical appliances, and have a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, and fire blanket available inside the tents. Brigadier General Al-Gharib reiterated that all KFF centers are fully prepared to handle reports received through the emergency hotline No. 112, adding that rapid intervention teams will be deployed to areas with high concentrations of campers to respond promptly to any incidents.