A CASH prize will be rewarded to the best camp every week during this year’s camping season which starts next month.
His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa announced the Best Camp Award yesterday and directed the allocation of a cash prize for a weekly winner.
Details of the prize money and judging criteria were not announced.
Shaikh Nasser noted that the award has been introduced to maintain public safety in camping sites, and encourage citizens and residents to preserve wildlife and the environment.
He added that the new award would make campers more conscious about following guidelines around cleanliness and comfort, and called on authorities to create the ideal atmosphere for camping and make the season a success.
The kingdom’s popular camping season will return next month after a three-year hiatus owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It will be held from November 10 to February 29 following royal directives from His Majesty.
The season generally sees thousands flocking to the site in the south of Bahrain – stretching from Awali to Sakhir – to enjoy the cooler weather, where they either erect or rent tents.
More than 2,000 people had signed up online to reserve space during the 2019-2020 season, when camping was last allowed.
“We call for a suitable camping atmosphere while keeping up with the custom of previous seasons, in a way that preserves the safety of citizens and takes into account our commitment to protecting the environment and wildlife,” Shaikh Nasser said in a statement earlier this week.
While the official camping season was cancelled due to Covid-19 more than three years ago, people continued to pour into the desert to take advantage of the cool weather and escape from the city buzz.
Many of them were also spotted setting up mini-tents and cooking on portable gas stoves.
MPs during a session in January this year approved an urgent proposal to officially reopen the camping season while ensuring that it does not hinder the work of the oil drilling company.
The Southern Municipal Council, in January, called for the camping site to be closed down to pave the way for profitable oil explorations that could boost Bahrain’s economy.
They also urged authorities to cordon off the site and impose tough fines on individuals seeking to enter the area.
However, the council’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman and area councillor Ali Al Shaikh recently said a new site that is far away from the oil and gas excavation zones would be introduced this year.
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