The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) of Qatar has authorized registered campers to begin setting up their winter camps ahead of the official start of the 2026-27 camping season, scheduled to launch on October 25. This move is designed to streamline the registration process, reduce congestion, and facilitate a smoother camping experience during the brief winter period.
Under the directive of Minister Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie, campers who have completed registration, coordinated with ministry inspectors, and confirmed their chosen locations can commence setting up campsites immediately. Salim Qadri al-Yami, assistant director of the Wildlife Protection Department and head of the ministry’s field camping team, emphasized that the early access would help ease traffic and enable campers to organize their sites without compromising environmental safeguards, site integrity, or safety protocols.
This year, the ministry has expanded available camping zones by adding new areas in Sealine and Khawr Al Adaid, increasing the total capacity to 5,000 camping cabins across these two locations. Alongside these expansions, the ministry has refreshed its camping database by introducing new site names and refining geographical coordinates to enhance registration accuracy and site management.
Fire safety regulations have also been updated to minimize accidents and protect both campers and the natural environment. The ministry continues to stress the importance of preserving the natural landscape and preventing environmental degradation amid increased camping activity.
To support campers, the ministry has upgraded its electronic registration system, aiming to expedite bookings and improve coordination with related government agencies. Aisha Mohamed al-Muhaiza, head of Infrastructure and Project Management at the ministry’s Information Systems Department, reported that this improved system contributed to rapid full booking of Sealine’s allocated camping sites on the first registration day for the southern region.
By Thursday, reservations in other southern areas reached 90%, while the central region saw 90% occupancy within three days of registration opening. Nationwide, approximately half of the available camping sites have been reserved so far.
Campers experiencing issues with registration or site confirmation are encouraged to contact the ministry’s operations room via the hotline number 16066 for assistance.