MADINAH: The demand for tents and other picnic items has shot up in Madinah with parks and valleys in and around the holy city turning cool and green following the onslaught of the rain.

During the weekend, most of the picnic spots were crowded with families and most of the people were seen choosing their own form of entertainment like driving in the sand, barbecue or just enjoying the cool weather, local media reported on Sunday.

Stores which sold picnic equipment were seen doing a brisk business. Ibrahim Al-Samman, owner of a store that specializes in selling and renting outing equipments, was quoted as saying that more and more people are buying tents for camps in the wilderness.

He said that the beginning of winter marks the start of the picnic season, which revives their trade for outdoor equipment.

The demand for wood, which is used by picnickers for bonfire, also increased considerably. A number of sightseers said that the prices of wood increased because of shortage, and called for a suitable alternative, like importing it.

The increasing demand for motor bikes helped the market after a long period of stagnation, bring in some profits. “Families like to rent desert cars and consider them a basic requirement for picnics. young and old people alike, enjoy riding desert vehicles over sand dunes,” a picnicker was quoted as saying.

A picnicker, Hussein Al-Jazimi, said he rented a vehicle for his children to drive around in the wilderness.

“These cars are appealing to young people, but they lack safety requirements. For instance, there are no helmets to protect the young ones if they fall, and some owners rent out these bikes to very young children,” he added.

Madinah municipality reportedly said that it allocated three areas to be used as tracks in a park. It stated that it is coordinating with security bodies that are located permanently in parks to monitor people. Bikes that are used outside the allocated tracks will be confiscated, the municipality warned.