Practical guide

Bahrain Sakhir camping registration 2026: is it open, and how does it work?

By Gaurav Agarwal · Updated 13 October 2026

Not yet. The 2026-27 season and registration are not announced as of 13 October 2026. Registration is in the Aljunobya app's Khayyam service; last season it ran 20 to 30 November. GDN reported on 3 Mar 2026 that the Southern Governorate suspended the 2025-26 season until further notice (press report; no notice on the Governorate news list). Meanwhile, watch the app and southern.gov.bh news.

2026-27 seasonNot announced (13 Oct 2026)

2025-26 seasonReported suspended 3 Mar 2026 (GDN press report)

Who can applyBahraini, aged 21+

DepositBD 100, refundable

Open the Khaim Initiative page (Aljunobya app, Khayyam)

Jump to a step

2026-27 status
Who can register
Registration steps
Paying the deposit
Zones and distances
Camp safety
Refund and penalties
Not stated
FAQs
Official sources

01When will 2026-27 camping registration open?

No date is official yet. The newest item on the Southern Governorate news list, read on 13 October 2026, is dated 1 October 2026 and is not about camping. The Camping Season Rules page still carries the 2025-2026 rules.

The last two seasons were announced on 3 November 2024 and 6 November 2025. Based on those two dates, our estimate is an announcement in early November 2026, but that is our estimate, not an official date.

The Governor asks campers to take information from official media and the Governorate's own channels. So treat any 2026-27 date you see on social media as unconfirmed until the Governorate publishes it.

One more thing to know: local press reported in March 2026 that the Southern Governorate suspended the 2025-26 season until further notice.

Locally the season is called موسم البر (the desert or camping season).

Recent seasons, from the Southern Governorate's own announcements
Season	Announced	Registration	Season dates
2024-25	3 Nov 2024	15 to 25 Nov	20 Nov 2024 to 20 Feb 2025
2025-26	6 Nov 2025	20 to 30 Nov	5 Dec 2025 to 25 Mar 2026
2026-27	Not yet (13 Oct 2026)	Not announced	Not announced

02Which route fits you?

The 2025-2026 rules say the camping applicant must be a Bahraini national aged at least 21. That decides most of what follows, so find your row first.

Who can do what, under the 2025-26 rules
You are	Can you register a camp?	What the official pages say
Expat resident	Not as the applicant	The permit is for personal or family use only, and renting out a site is prohibited.
Visitor	Not as the applicant	Rental camps must hold a licence from Southern Municipality.
Bahraini aged 21+	Yes	Register in the app, pay the deposit, then complete the permit at the Governorate.
Rental or commercial operator	Separate licence	Needs a Southern Municipality licence and prior coordination with the Governorate before the season.

03How registration and the permit work

Registration is electronic. The e-Khayyam service in the Aljunobya (الجنوبية) app shows the season rules, the registration process and the electronic season map. Last season, registration ran 20 to 30 November through the Khayyam (خيّم) initiative. The season rules sit on the Camping Season Rules page.

Install the Aljunobya app from the App Store or Google Play, both linked under "Download our apps" on southern.gov.bh.
Watch the Southern Governorate news page and the app for the 2026-27 announcement.
Register your camp in the Khayyam service of the Aljunobya app to obtain the camping permit.
Pay the BD 100 cleanliness deposit to Southern Municipality at registration.
Visit the Southern Governorate to complete the official camping permit, because paying the deposit is not a permit.
After pitching, fix the permit in a visible place on the camp gate; a camp without it counts as unlicensed.
Stuck at any step? Call Southern Governorate Customer Care on +973 177 500 00 or email [email protected].

04Paying the BD 100 deposit, step by step

Ministerial Resolution No. 152 of 2025 sets the deposit at one hundred dinars per non-commercial site, paid to Southern Municipality at registration. There is no other service fee for non-commercial camping. You can pay through the municipal e-payment system or through Sadad.

Once the payment button is activated on your camping request page, click Pay.
On the payment page, select NPA Payment.
Choose Southern Municipality and click Search to see the pending invoices linked to your application.
Choose the invoice and click Pay.
Keep a copy of the receipt from My Receipts.

05Where you can camp: zones and safe distances

Camp only inside the zones on the official season map; a camp outside them is removed immediately at the owner's cost. The 2025-2026 map shows general, family, companies, commercial and low-lying zones. Its general zones are Al Musaynaat, Hafeera and Al Qarah, and its family zones are East Al Amar, South Al Qarah and the Tree of Life area. The map also marks the Camping Services Centre beside Road 76. The Governorate also runs a Camping Area Digital Map page and a Khaim Initiative page.

You cannot reserve, fence or mark a site with signs or poles before the season starts. Once you are on site, keep these distances.

Minimum distances and plot size, 2025-26 rules
Keep away from	Minimum distance
Oil and gas wells	150 m
Pipelines, high-voltage lines, power stations, ground utilities	50 m
Tree of Life fence	100 m
Main roads	75 m
Secondary roads	10 m
The next camp	5 m
Plot size	30 x 30 m, no more than 900 square meters

06Safety rules and a set-up checklist

The rules cover fire, power, vehicles and what you may build. Use this as your packing and set-up list.

Bring a fire extinguisher and a first-aid box, and never use an open fire or a stove inside a tent.
Put the kitchen or cooking tent apart from the other tents, with a non-flammable barrier between the stove and the tent fabric.
Use safe electrical connections and no exposed wires.
Leave fireworks and drones at home.
Keep quad bikes away from camps and gathering areas, wear a helmet and goggles, and stop riding at 5 pm.
Skip stages, platforms and loudspeakers, and fly no flag except Bahrain's.
Do not bring animals.
Build nothing from brick or cement and nothing taller than one meter; cabins need a prior Southern Municipality licence.
Keep a waste bin in the camp and never burn waste.
Ask the Camping Services Centre first if you want to give your camp a name.

07Getting the deposit back, and what happens if rules are broken

Clean the site and remove all waste within one week of taking the camp down or of the season ending, whichever comes first; the municipality then refunds the deposit. If you do not, the deposit pays for the clean-up and the municipality can bill you for any extra cost. It can also withhold part or all of the deposit for violations, damage or leftover waste, and you may not move your site without official approval. Fill in toilet pits when the season ends.

Keep to the announced season dates; camps that stay on are removed at the owners' expense. Tents or camps that break the rules are confiscated, and you can reclaim them only by a written request to the Camping Services Centre. Tents not claimed within one month of removal are confiscated permanently.

08What the official pages don't say

No official page yet gives the 2026-27 dates, registration window, zones or deposit amount. The municipality's deposit page still describes the 2025-26 season, so wait for the new announcement before paying anything.

No official page we found lets an expat resident register a camp in their own name, or says how guests join a registered camp. None sets a fixed fine amount; the penalties named are removal, confiscation, costs and loss of the deposit. None states a rule on generators or how many days a refund takes after inspection. For any of these, ask the Governorate at [email protected], through the live chat in the Aljunobya app, or through Tawasul. You can also call Customer Care on +973 177 500 00 or email [email protected].

09FAQs

Is Sakhir camping registration open for 2026?

No. As of 13 October 2026, the Southern Governorate has not announced the 2026-27 season or its registration window.

When is the 2026-27 season likely to be announced?

The last two seasons were announced on 3 November 2024 and 6 November 2025. Our estimate is early November 2026, but only the Governorate's announcement is official.

Which app do I use to register?

The Southern Governorate's Aljunobya (الجنوبية) app, through the Khayyam service, which shows the rules, the registration process and the season map.

Can expats register a camp?

Under the 2025-26 rules, the applicant must be a Bahraini national aged at least 21. No official page we found sets a separate route for expats.

How much is the camping deposit?

BD 100 per non-commercial site under Resolution 152 of 2025, paid to Southern Municipality at registration. There is no other service fee.

Does paying the deposit give me the permit?

No. Paying the deposit is not a permit; you must visit the Southern Governorate to complete the official permit.

How do I get my BD 100 back?

Clean the site and remove all waste within one week of taking down the camp or of the season end, whichever comes first.

How far from pipelines must I camp?

At least 50 m from pipelines, high-voltage lines and power stations, and at least 150 m from oil and gas wells.

10Official sources

Official details checked 13 October 2026.