Camping in Dubai 2026-27: where to camp, permits and rules
Dubai Municipality issues winter camp permits for fenced family plots in Al Aweer, for three to six months at 44 fils per square metre a week (up to 400 sq m); for a night or two, the Hatta Camp Site has 18 bring-your-own-tent pitches. The 2026-27 season dates had not been published by 23 October 2026.
Camping in Dubai runs on two tracks. For a season-long family camp in the desert, Dubai Municipality issues winter camp permits for a fenced plot in Al Aweer, for three to six months, at 44 fils per square metre a week. For a night or two, the Hatta Camp Site at Hatta Wadi Hub has 18 pitches where you bring your own tent, and Hatta Resorts rents lodges, domes and caravans. Dubai Municipality had not published the dates of the 2026-27 winter camping season on its website on 23 October 2026.
Winter camps in Al Aweer
The municipality sets aside land in Al Aweer each winter for temporary camps. Its last two notices followed one pattern: the 2023-24 season ran from 17 October 2023 to the end of April 2024, and the 2024-25 season from 21 October 2024 to the end of April 2025. A permit marks out the boundaries of your plot, and you then build your own camp inside them, as you like, for family use. Spaces at the front of the site are kept for People of Determination, and in 2023 also for senior citizens. Dubai Police, the RTA, Civil Defence and DEWA work with the municipality on the site.
Fees and camp size
The permit costs 44 fils per square metre per week. A camp can be at most 400 square metres, so a camp at the maximum size costs AED 176 a week. The shortest permit is three months and the longest six months. In its 2022-23 notice the municipality also said one person could reserve at most two camps. Any change to these figures for 2026-27 has not been published.
How to apply
Choose a channel
the Dubai Municipality website, the Dubai Now app or the Dubai Building Permit System. 2. In the Dubai Now app, sign in with UAE Pass and send the request. 3. On the other channels, upload a copy of a valid passport issued by the Emirate of Dubai and your family book extract. 4. Once the permit is issued and the plot is marked, set up your camp within its limits. The documents listed point to Emirati families; the municipality has not published a separate route for residents.
Camp rules
The camp is for private family use: it may not be rented out, lent to others or used for any business, including by companies or hotels. Put up a temporary fence around it and build nothing outside your permit area. No digging. Keep a fire extinguisher inside the camp, and no fireworks. Sand bikes may not go faster than 20 km/h inside the camping area. Floodlights and loudspeakers are not allowed. Keep the site clean, and take the camp and everything in it away when the permit ends.
Hatta Camp Site
For a night under canvas, try the Hatta Camp Site at Hatta Wadi Hub, off the Dubai-Hatta road, run by Hatta Resorts (Dubai Holding). There are 18 pitches, each 11 by 9 metres, for up to five people. You bring the tent; each pitch has its own barbecue station, fire pit, seating and a parking space for one car beside it, and parking is free. Bring your own cooking equipment and lights. The site has 24-hour security and is open from 7am to midnight every day. Food trucks and washrooms are a short walk away at Wadi Hub. The price per night is not published on the official page; book through Hatta Resorts on +971 4 820 5555 or +971 4 820 5500 (9am to 7pm daily) or on WhatsApp at +971 58 100 2762.
Glamping in Hatta
If you would rather not pitch a tent, Hatta Resorts says its Season 9 opened on 28 September. It offers Damani Lodges, Domes with a plunge pool for two adults and two children, Campers in Standard, Deluxe, Premium and Elite sizes, and retro Vintage Campers for two adults with a shared bathroom nearby. Each has a barbecue and fire pit, with one bundle of firewood and charcoal free per stay. The Deluxe Campers accept one dog up to 20kg, with a pet fee of AED 250. Nearby, Caravan Hatta by Our Habitas has 50 Airstream caravans. Prices are shown only on the booking pages. Hatta Resorts warns of unauthorised booking sites. Getting there takes about 90 minutes by car, or about an hour and a half on the RTA's H02 bus from Dubai Mall, AED 25 with a Nol card.
Caravans on Jebel Ali beach
When it opened caravan camping on Jebel Ali beach in October 2020, the municipality said owners need a 30-day permit from its website, issued at once and free of charge, with the caravan's ownership document and an Emirates ID (or a passport for visitors). Check the service on the municipality's website before you tow. The municipality also announced in December 2025 a network of RV stations and parks across Dubai's mountains, beaches and desert, to be built and run with private operators; no opening date has been published.
Before you go
The municipality cleans popular desert areas such as Al Qudra Lakes, Love Lakes and Al Aweer from October to the end of April, and asks visitors to leave barbecue waste in the containers provided. In Hatta, activities close for a while when it rains. Check the season's dates on the official page before you plan.