Spring Camps Committee to remove all illegal camps

The Director-General of the Municipality, Engineer Saud Al-Dabbous, has instructed the Spring Camps Committee team to promptly mobilize and assemble field teams to remove all existing camps without any exceptions.

They are also to issue violation reports and refer the matter to the appropriate administration for legal action against the owners of these tents, reports Al-Rai daily.

Informed sources clarified that this decision was prompted by the monitoring of numerous unlawful camps, including those situated in sensitive security, military, and economic zones.

The sources disclosed that withholding licenses for setting up camps in the forthcoming season for foreigners is conceivable, especially since some individuals have exploited the system for internal trade. The municipality aims to promote public camping, but simultaneously, certain violations and transgressions cannot be tolerated.

Also, relevant authorities will be involved in devising an action plan for the complete removal of camps, whether licensed in the previous spring camping season or existing without a license.

Al-Otaibi explained that following the committee meeting, violators will be granted a 48-hour grace period to dismantle their tents; otherwise, necessary actions will be taken. The municipality’s bulldozers will be on standby, particularly since some camp locations pose significant dangers due to their proximity to gas and oil pipelines, high-voltage overhead power lines, and military and security installations.

Regarding penalties, Faisal Al-Otaibi, Chairman of the Spring Camps Committee, outlined that those with expired camp licenses will face the penalty of being deprived of camping in the upcoming season, in addition to the legal actions taken against them. As for unlicensed camps, the municipality and the Environment Public Authority will impose appropriate penalties and fines on their owners, along with the confiscation of tents.