DTCM to relocate 'lousy' desert camp location

A Dubai tourism official has revealed plans to earmark a new area of land in the desert for desert safari camps, after admitting that the current location in Al Aweer was not up to scratch.

All desert camp operators were forced to relocate to an area of land in Al Aweer two years ago, in a bid by the municipality to clamp down on illegal safari camps - but operators have since complained that the area is unsuitable and far too crowded.

Hakim Al Budoor, chairman, Net Tours told ATN: “The camps are next to each other, all in one place. It has become so lousy with so much competition, and it’s not really where the tourists like to go. Its not a real desert experience when they’re sitting in the dunes and they the electric power lines overhead and hundreds of groups around them and you can hear the camp next door.”

Richard Devadasan, manager, MICE, SNTTA Emir Tours agreed: “It’s not a very pretty site – camps are almost adjoining each other facility wise. A lot of our clients who we bring down for an inventive and conference point of view and show them these campsites in Al Aweer aren’t very impressed.”

Mohamed Khalifa Ahli, director, Inspection & Tourism Permits Department, DTCM confirmed that five tour operators had been taken to view a 5km x 5km stretch of desert in Dubailand to give feedback on the new location.

“The feedback is that’s its better than Al Aweer,” said Ahli. “It’s not great - we need somewhere where the companies can have big dunes – and there are no big dunes. In Al Aweer what is happening is that all the companies are bringing a shovel and making dunes for themselves.”

“If we don’t move to Dubailand we will move to some other place, because we do need more land for the camps,” he said, “but the land we have in Dubai is very limited for the desert camps.”

Ahli added that the new desert location was for “new camps or for those looking for expansion”, and the DTCM would not make it mandatory for camp operators to relocate again. “We will not be shifting the camps – the camps will stay in the same place, this is only for new camps or big companies that need more than one camp.”