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Winter camping in Qatar: season dates, registration and rules
When the 2026–27 winter camping season runs, who can register a seasonal camp through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, what it costs, and how residents who are not eligible can still camp safely and legally with licensed operators.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Season 2026–27
- 25 October 2026 to 20 April 2027
- Registration
- From 11 October 2026 by region; reopens for all areas 22–31 October
- Who can register
- Qatari nationals aged 25+ (one permit per person)
- Cost
- QAR 3,000 permit fee plus QAR 10,000 refundable deposit
Winter camping is one of the best-loved parts of life in Qatar: from late October to April families set up tents in the desert, on the coast and in nature reserves. The official seasonal camping permit is issued by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and, under the 2026–27 rules, only Qatari nationals aged 25 or over can hold one. Expat residents cannot register their own seasonal camp, but they can still camp legally by booking a licensed desert camp or tour, visiting the desert and beaches on day trips, or joining a permit holder's camp as a guest. This guide is for both groups. It first explains the season dates and how registration, fees and the deposit work, then covers the rules every camper must follow and the safety basics for desert driving, the Inland Sea, quad bikes, fire and weather.
Before you start
- Decide which route fits you: a seasonal permit (Qatari nationals 25+ only), a licensed commercial camp or tour, or day trips
- For a permit: an active National Authentication System (Tawtheeq) account with your details up to date, and your QID expiry date to hand
- The Bee'ah app from the MOECC, or the ministry website, ready before your region's registration day opens at 8 am
- A bank card in the camp owner's own name with at least QAR 13,000 available (fee and deposit are charged together at booking)
- A shortlist of two or three preferred camping areas in your region, in case your first choice fills up
- A suitable 4x4 in good condition, plus recovery gear: tyre gauge, compressor, shovel, tow strap, sand boards and a spare tyre
- Fire extinguisher and first-aid kit (both required at permitted camps) and fire-resistant tent material
- Enough water, food, fuel and a charged phone and power bank; tell someone where you are going
- For quad bikes: helmet, gloves, eye protection and ankle boots
Step by step
Check which kind of camping you can do
Seasonal winter camping permits are personal and, for 2026–27, go only to Qatari nationals aged 25 or over, with one permit per person per season. If you are an expat resident, you cannot register your own seasonal camp, and paying a permit holder to use their camp counts as subleasing, which is banned and can lead to the permit being cancelled. Your legal options are licensed commercial desert camps and resorts, organised desert safaris with overnight stays, day trips to public beaches and the desert, or visiting friends at their camp. Knowing this first saves you from booking an unlicensed camp that may be removed by inspectors mid-season.
Set up your Tawtheeq account and the Bee'ah app
Permit applications are made through the MOECC website or the ministry's Bee'ah app, and you log in with the National Authentication System, known as Tawtheeq. Activate your Tawtheeq account well before registration day and make sure your mobile number and personal details are current. The first time you log in to the camping system, you are asked to enter your Qatar ID expiry date to verify your data. Do this a day or two early so you are not fixing login problems while popular sites are being booked.
Read guide: Get your Qatar ID (residence permit) →Register on your region's day
Registration opens at 8 am on set days for each region. Central region: 11–13 October 2026 (including Umm Al Afaei, Umm Al Azam, Rawdat Rashid, Rawdat Aisha, South Al Kharaij and Abu Samra). Southern region: 14–16 October, with Sealine on 14 October, Al Kharara (Jaww Al Banat), Afja Muaither, Al Naqian, Mekaines and Al Udeid on 15 October, and the remaining southern areas on 16 October. Northern region: 17–21 October, covering areas such as Al Reem Reserve, Al Khor, Al Thakhira, Al Mazroua, Al Shamal, Al Zubara and Al Maroona. All areas reopen for any remaining spaces from 22 to 31 October.
Choose your site carefully and pay at once
This season the system shows illustrative images of the redivided camping areas before you pay, and the old option to pick your previous inland site has been removed. Pay the QAR 3,000 permit fee and the QAR 10,000 deposit immediately after booking: an unpaid booking is cancelled. Do not close the browser or let the session time out, because incomplete registrations are cancelled automatically. The ministry advises paying with the camp owner's own bank card, since the deposit is refunded to that card at the end of the season.
Get your site fixed and set up within the rules
After booking, an inspector confirms (fixes) your exact site. Before that point you can change location for QAR 1,000; after it, changes are not allowed without ministry approval. Set up only at the site on your permit, display your camp plate or permit number where inspectors can see it, and let MOECC inspectors in at any time, because blocking them leads to immediate withdrawal of the permit. Keep at least 5 metres between tents, put kitchens away from sleeping tents and keep gas cylinders outside. Concrete, permanent structures, digging and cutting plants are not allowed.
If you are not eligible, book a licensed camp or tour
Residents and visitors usually camp through licensed operators. The Sealine and Khor Al Adaid (Inland Sea) area has licensed camps and resorts, from Bedouin-style tents to villas, and many tour companies run half-day, full-day and overnight desert safaris with a driver. Choose an operator licensed by Qatar Tourism, ask exactly what is included (transport, meals, quad or buggy rides, tent type, toilets) and confirm the cancellation policy. This is also the safest way to reach the Inland Sea if you have never driven on dunes.
Prepare your car and plan the desert drive
Most camping areas need a 4x4, and Khor Al Adaid has no road at all, so Visit Qatar advises an experienced off-road driver. Before leaving the tarmac (for the Inland Sea, at Mesaieed), lower tyre pressure to around 18–20 psi, and pump the tyres back up before driving on the road again. Go in at least two cars, carry recovery gear, keep your fuel tank well above half, and share your route and return time with someone. Avoid sudden braking on soft sand, and do not drive through waterlogged ground after rain.
Read guide: Road trips from Qatar: driving to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman →Respect the tides at the Inland Sea and beaches
At Khor Al Adaid the water rises toward the dunes and falls back during the day, and drivers regularly get stuck in wet sand or sea water when the tide comes in. Park well above the high-water line and never leave a car on the beach while you swim or sleep. Watch how the water moves during your visit and leave early if it is rising toward your route. Check the weather and sea conditions from the Qatar Meteorology Department before you set off.
Ride quad bikes safely and only where allowed
Motorcycles are completely banned inside all nature reserves and rawdat (green meadow) areas, and banned in all camping areas between 10 pm and 5 am. Quad bikes must not be driven on public roads. Hamad Medical Corporation's trauma centre warns that rollovers on dunes cause serious injuries every season, many to children and passengers, and most on Friday afternoons and evenings. Wear a helmet, gloves, eye protection and boots, carry no passenger unless the bike is built for one, avoid stunts, and keep children under 16 off large quad bikes.
Handle fire, gas and heaters with care
Light fires and barbecues on a proper grill or stand away from tents, never directly on the ground near vegetation, and put them out completely before sleeping or leaving. Keep gas cylinders outside tents and cooking areas away from sleeping areas. Never use a heater, fire or gas lamp inside a closed tent while you sleep: this can cause fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Use heaters on suitable sockets rather than shared extension leads, and do not release sky lanterns or use loudspeakers at camps.
Leave no trace and protect wildlife
Keep your camp and the area around it clean, put rubbish in designated containers or take it home, and dispose of household waste and wastewater in the approved way. Do not drive over vegetation, dig, cut plants or disturb animals, especially in rawdat and reserves such as Al Reem. Keep lighting dim and pointed only where needed to reduce light pollution. MOECC field teams patrol throughout the season and remove camps that break the rules.
Read guide: Laws and etiquette every Qatar resident should know →Strike camp and claim your deposit
The season ends on 20 April 2027. Take down the camp, remove all equipment and rubbish, and leave the site as you found it. Then request camp clearance and your deposit refund through the Bee'ah app or the MOECC website. An inspector checks the site, and last season the ministry said refunds were paid to the owner's bank card within about 72 hours of a clean inspection. A dirty or damaged site can mean losing some or all of the deposit and legal action.
What it costs
| Seasonal camping permit fee (land, coastal and reserve areas) | QAR 3,000 |
| Security deposit, refundable after a clean inspection | QAR 10,000 |
| Changing campsite before the site is fixed | QAR 1,000 |
| Permit fee for retirees and persons with disabilities (deposit still due) | QAR 0 |
| Entry to Khor Al Adaid (Inland Sea) reserve | Free |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Paying a permit holder to use their camp: subleasing is banned, and the camp can be removed and the permit cancelled
- Closing the browser or letting the session expire during registration, which cancels the booking automatically
- Booking without paying straight away; unpaid bookings are cancelled
- Paying with someone else's card, which makes the deposit refund harder
- Driving to the Inland Sea in a normal car, alone, or without lowering tyre pressure
- Parking on the beach below the high-water line at Khor Al Adaid
- Letting children ride quad bikes, riding with passengers, or riding in camping areas after 10 pm
- Running a gas heater or fire inside a closed tent overnight
Questions people ask
Can expats get a winter camping permit in Qatar?
No. For the 2026–27 season, seasonal permits are only for Qatari nationals aged 25 or over, one per person. Expat residents can camp through licensed commercial camps and tour operators, go on day trips to the desert and public beaches, or visit friends who hold a permit.
Can I rent a camp from a Qatari friend for the season?
No. Permits are personal, and renting, transferring or using a camp for other purposes is prohibited. The MOECC has removed camps that were rented out, and the permit can be cancelled immediately.
Can I just pitch a tent on the beach or in the desert for one night?
The MOECC regularly removes camps set up without a permit, and we could not find an official rule allowing unregistered overnight tents. The safe options are a licensed camp or tour, or a day visit. If you want to stay overnight anywhere else, ask the ministry first on its hotline, 16066.
When does the 2026–27 camping season start and end?
It runs from 25 October 2026 to 20 April 2027. Registration opened on 11 October 2026 by region, and remaining spaces in all areas open again from 22 to 31 October.
How and when do I get my QAR 10,000 deposit back?
At the end of the season, clear and clean your site, then request clearance and a refund in the Bee'ah app or on the MOECC website. After an inspector confirms the site is clean, the deposit goes back to the card used for payment; last season the ministry said this took about 72 hours.
Do I need a 4x4 to reach Sealine or the Inland Sea?
Sealine beach can be reached on a paved road, but the dunes and Khor Al Adaid need a 4x4 because there is no road to the Inland Sea. If you have no off-road experience, book a guided tour rather than going alone.
Are quad bikes allowed and can children ride them?
Quad bikes can be rented in areas such as Sealine, but motorcycles are banned in all reserves and rawdat, and in camping areas from 10 pm to 5 am, and they must not be driven on public roads. Hamad Medical Corporation advises that young children should not ride at all and that bikes over 90cc should not be ridden by anyone under 16.
Can we have a campfire or barbecue?
Yes, with care: use a grill or stand rather than a fire on the ground, keep it well away from tents and plants, and put it out fully before sleeping or leaving. Permitted camps must have a fire extinguisher and first-aid kit, and sky lanterns are not allowed.
Official sources
- QNA: MOECC announces 2026–27 winter camping season and registration schedule (Oct 2026) ↗
- Qatar Tribune: Winter camping season set to kick off on October 25 ↗
- Marhaba: Registration and safety requirements for the 2026–27 camping season ↗
- Al Raya (Arabic): Camping registration opens, eligibility, fees and deposit (Oct 2026) ↗
- Visit Qatar: Khor Al Adaid (Inland Sea) access and tips ↗
- Marhaba: HMC quad bike (ATV) safety advice for camping season ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.