They make their reservations by laying down the materials needed to erect tents in desired locations, including stones, wood and iron rods. The camping area extends for about 20 km from the Yanbu museum up to the Al-Sharm area along the shore.

Camping in the desert and along coastlines is a common habit for Saudis during school summer vacations and Eid holidays, which can last up to two weeks.

Ghanyan Al-Alwani, an elderly man from Yanbu, told Arab News he was reserving the place where he used to camp for many years when a young well-built man asked him to leave.

“We almost had a fistfight, but knowing he had a physical advantage over me, I opted to leave the place,” he said. He added that he did not accept defeat and went to the border guards to complain.

Many local residents consider camping locations their own private properties. They will not allow outsiders to camp in these areas.

The local authorities are trying to settle disputes over camping sites in an effort to satisfy everyone, but fights are still commonplace.

The residents prefer to camp with their families in their own tents instead of renting cabins in guesthouses and resorts, which are often seen as expensive and too small.

Local resident Radhi Al-Rafaie says he used to camp with his family near Al-Sharm for more than 15 years, but lately all the good spots were being snapped up early by young single men.

“Single men have reserved most of the areas along the coast. Our families do not like this,” he said.

Abdullah Al-Johani, a young Saudi citizen from Yanbu, supported him. “The municipality and the border guards should intervene and allocate special areas for us and keep us away from the families,” he said.

The camping season is a profitable time for shops that sell or rent tents and other camping equipment.

Rental fees for camping equipment range between SR4,000 and SR16,000 for five days hire.

Awad Al-Tayeb, a Sudanese man who works for one of these shops, said a day’s rental of camping tools can cost up to SR1,200. “We easily make profits of more than SR50,000 during the camping season,” he said.

The municipality charges campers for water and electricity power through a broker at nominal rates.

The broker uses this money to extend electricity lines and monitor the flow of power.

Though the fees are only nominal, many residents asked for more reductions, claiming that the municipality normally provides electricity free of charge.