KUWAIT CITY, Oct 28: Sources have informed that Kuwait Municipality’s legal department has finalized a study on camping regulations, approving designated areas for small business owners to set up cafes, restaurants, and some recreational activities. However, it has opposed allowing companies to lease camping spaces, as the municipality is restricted from investing in state property without an official allocation decision. The sources noted that the regulations for the camping season have been extensively reviewed from a legal standpoint and are planned to take effect this season. Although not yet presented to the Municipal Council, it is anticipated that if quickly submitted and approved, the regulations could be in place for the camping season starting in two weeks, pending ratification by the Minister of Municipalities.

The sources emphasized the Municipal Council’s readiness to expedite the approval process, aiming to allocate specific spaces for small business owners with monthly fees. These camping regulations will serve as a permanent framework, replacing annual controls established by the municipality’s camps committee, to streamline camping areas and prevent overcrowding. This structure allows the private sector to utilize certain sites for camps, cafes, restaurants, shops, and event halls, with fees per square meter set within a legal framework to deter any violations. Fines will also be enforced to prevent the random exploitation of desert areas in the country’s northern, southern, and western regions, helping to preserve the environment.

In related developments, Kuwait Municipality has completed the distribution of 67 permits in the new temporary tent market located at the old Shuwaikh slaughterhouse. A lottery was held to select 55 permit holders from the previous market and 12 new permit recipients, along with two loading and unloading permits that remained unclaimed. The event was attended by Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid, Director of the Audit and Follow-up Department of Municipal Services in the Capital Governorate, along with other key officials, including Faisal Al-Otaibi, a member of the Public Markets Committee. The distribution draw, conducted by Deputy Head of Public Markets and Capital Governorate Municipality Director Muhammad Al-Mutairi on behalf of Committee Chairman Nawaf Al-Kandari, saw a large turnout of citizens. A total of 132 licensed tent owners applied for 12 permits, each covering an area of 300 square meters.

Last year, the municipality offered 69 plots of land in the temporary tent market in Shuwaikh, as outlined in Ministerial Resolution No. 2023/118 on Public Markets Regulations. The allocation included approximately 55 plots for previous market tenants in Al-Rai Markets, two plots under a free download system, and 12 plots for those with commercial licenses permitting tent-related activities, all for a six-month period. The municipality invited qualified applicants to submit the required documents to the Food and Markets Control Department at the Capital Municipality Branch in Shuwaikh between December 10 and 21. Originally scheduled for January 2, the lottery was rescheduled and took place today, January 26.