Do You Need a Permit to Camp in Liwa? The 2026 Rules

What the rules actually say

Liwa sits in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra Region, and desert activity there falls under Abu Dhabi's tourism and municipal regulations. Three situations matter for campers:

• Camping as a guest of a licensed operator: fully covered. Tour operators like Liwa Camping Tours and Travel LLC hold an ADRA/DED tourism licence (ours is CN-5098754 — you can verify it on our legal information page), which is exactly the approval framework the authorities expect commercial camps to operate under.
• Private wild camping: tolerated in many open desert areas for individuals, but you must stay clear of farms, protected reserves (such as the Qasr Al Sarab Protected Area), military zones and infrastructure — and you're responsible for leaving no trace. Fines apply for littering and off-limits areas.
• Groups, events and festival season: organised gatherings, corporate events and camping around the Liwa International Festival at Moreeb Dune are actively managed. Setting up an unlicensed group camp there is the fastest way to meet an inspector.

Festival season is different

From late December into January, the area around Moreeb Dune fills for the Liwa International Festival, and authorities regulate where visitors can pitch. If you're coming for the festival, a reserved spot at a licensed serviced camp — like our Liwa Festival camping package — removes all the guesswork: legal pitch, facilities, and a shuttle to the grounds.

If you still want to camp independently

You can — thousands do every winter. Follow these rules and you'll rarely have an issue:

1. Camp on open, unfenced sand well away from farms, roads and dune-racing areas.
2. Take every scrap of rubbish out with you; fires only in contained pits, fully extinguished.
3. No drones without a UAE drone permit — this one is strictly enforced.
4. Never camp alone deep in the dunes without recovery equipment; read our desert safety guide before you go.

And if you want the independence of your own 4x4 with the legality and facilities handled for you, that's exactly what our self-drive convoy support with a reserved serviced pitch was built for.