Emirate Sharjah police are taking measures to protect the tranquility of residents near campsites in the desert.
Emirate police in Sharjah, UAE, conducts a campaign to inform tourists about desert behavior. Authorities urge guests not to break the rules and not take actions that could lead to serious accidents.
Colonel Ahmed bin Darwish, director of the police department, recalls: "The streets leading to the campsites are not racing tracks, but places where you can hide from speed and recklessness."
He noted that the police also launched an awareness campaign aimed at camping enthusiasts so that they recognize the importance of complying with rules and laws to ensure their safety.
He said that people living near campsites were complaining about the riots. Sharjah police imposed restrictions to fix the problem. Camping in such areas will now be allowed only after obtaining permission from the authorities. "The presence of a large number of tourists in such areas creates riots, since many of them turn on music loudly and create unbearable noise," bin Darvish added.
This year, the police began to deal with the issue in advance, having formed a working committee and implemented a plan that included deploying patrols on the roads leading to the camps. Patrols have been deployed since October. They have already begun instructing motorists.
Sharjah police have also set up a special operations headquarters near the campsites in order to respond as quickly as possible to any emergency: if any of the tourists get lost in the desert or have to provide first aid. The patrol, which works at this headquarters, is on duty until late at night.
Other patrols were also deployed at checkpoints near the entrance to Badayer to stop people without a driver’s license, as well as to track other violations. Police put up road barriers to prevent accidents with homeless animals and camels.
Bin Darvish called on vacationers to call 999 in case of any problems so that the police could quickly be in place.
He also recalled a fine of 2,000 dirhams ($ 544) for camping in unauthorized places. This penalty is doubled in case of repeated violations.
