'Glamping': Dubai's new take on desert camping
Just over 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Dubai's
skyscrapers, Mohammed al-Kaabi strolls through the tranquil desert with his
friends as the sun sets.
Kaabi, 27, hails from a long line of Emiratis, a people with
a centuries-old bedouin history tied inextricably to the local desert.
Today, he is among a fast-growing group drawn to a new wave
of a tradition of desert camping but with all the trappings of comfort, style
and modernity.
With "glamping", short for "glamorous
camping", Dubai aims to expand on its renown for luxurious city living and
its tradition of camping.
Betting on tourism at a time of low oil prices, Dubai is now
offering stays in chic desert trailers, in plush mountainside lodgings and
beach camps, as it seeks to put its own mark on the glamping trend that has
swept world tourism destinations.
"This place is far from the cities and the
high-rises," said Kaabi, sporting the traditional full-length white
Emirati robe worn by men.
"Camping is very popular in the UAE, but when you want
to bring the family it becomes more complicated," he added, at a campsite
in Hatta, near the Omani border.
"But here, safety and comfort are provided for."
A room with... a bed
Camping is still a beloved way of life for many Emiratis,
who take their equipment and head for the desert from the fall months onwards,
when the scorching summer heat has faded.
Tourists and expat residents also increasingly opt to escape
the hustle and bustle of the city.
Dubai welcomed a record 15.9 million visitors in 2018, many
of whom were drawn to its mega malls, luxurious hotels and pristine beaches.
It hopes to push the figure up to 20 million visitors
annually by next year, when it hosts the six-month global trade fair, Expo
2020.
The mountainous eastern Hatta desert has lots to offer
"glampers" with a taste for adventure but also for their home
comforts.
Near the Hatta dam, campers have a choice between a trailer,
caravan or five-star lodge fully equipped with TVs and power points for
charging a smartphone.
Seated outside a trailer, Jamil Fahmy, a Dubai resident from
Saudi Arabia, said glamping was the perfect way to escape the city without
compromising on hygiene.
"It's fun, with the fire and hanging with friends and
all that, but I personally prefer to sleep in a room with a bed and a private
bathroom, and that's what we get here," he told AFP.
"It's great to be an adventurer and explore and cook
fireside, and that's what we did.
"But when the time came, we retreated into the
beautiful room and slept on a bed."
'Five-star camping'
Rooms with modern amenities, including bathrooms and beds,
start from 400 dirhams (about $110, 100 euros) per night at the Hatta site,
which opened in October.
The Hatta camping project, part of Dubai's plan to use
tourism to diversify revenues, is also home to a 350-meter zip wire.
Last year, Dubai faced a downturn in the real-estate market due
to a supply glut, while oil prices also dropped, affecting the UAE as a whole.
Several glamping sites, some on the beach, have popped up
across the UAE in recent years, with options to participate in yoga classes,
star gazing or kayaking.
For Jay, a 37-year-old Briton, glamping offers a new
experience after a decade in the UAE.
"We're fairly outdoorsy, we came here kayaking before,
we did the big zip line," he told AFP, referring to the Hatta zip wire.
But, he added with a laugh that with the usual no-frills
style of camping "you haven't got a shower or all the facilities" so
glamping is a welcome step-up.
"You get the outdoors and all of that, and nature, and
you can barbecue – but you can also have a shower and get clean!
"It's not five-star hoteling, but five-star
camping."