JEDDAH — Thousands of people from Jeddah and other parts of the Kingdom have been traveling to holy city of Madinah since the start of the Eid Al-Fitr holidays. With a five-fold increase in the number of visitors during the holiday season, an acute shortage of accommodation, especially in the economy range, has been a problem for many, particularly low-income expatriates. The demolition of hundreds of buildings in the central area near the Prophet's Mosque as part of the mosque expansion project has created the shortage. Coupled with a huge spike in issuance of Umrah visas and an influx of visitors from other cities taking advantage of the school summer vacation, the shortage has led to an unprecedented increase in room rents in the holy city. "I am witnessing such huge crowds for the first time in many years. Many people from across the Kingdom call me to inquire about accommodation prices," said Mohammed Sayeed, an Indian community worker and long-time resident of Madinah. The prices of accommodation in Madinah vary depending on the season and location but it reaches the peak level post Eid. The real estate sector that rents cheap accommodation to visitors and pilgrims is dominated by workers from a South Asian country. There is a syndicate that manipulates the rent structure for the entire Ramadan season also Eid holidays. Some of these middle men have been aggressively selling rent space on social media. Most low-income visitors used to stay near Bilal Mosque at Qurban Road where scores of furnished apartments and inns provided cheap accommodation in the vicinity of the Prophet's Mosque. They used to charge SR300 per day for a unit that can house four or five members, but the price has now soared as high as SR1,200. Many South Asian expatriates now prefer to stay in economy and substandard accommodation available in Sitteen Street, which is commonly known as the Bengali market, which is easily accessible from the Prophet Mosque's gates 15 to 21. Even there the prices have jumped from SR80-SR100 a night to SR300. "The price hike during Eid holidays – the peak business season – is normal every year, but this time the prices are skyrocketing," said Khalid Hussain Madani, who operates a regular transport service to Madinah. Many people are ready to pay the high price, yet it is not easy to find accommodation in Madinah, according to him. He said he tried to rent a building for the Eid visitors but experienced difficulties in finding one. The rental hike also applies to star hotels in the city. Khalid Hussain Al-Shahrani, director of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) in Madinah said anyone with grievances regarding their accommodation could call the commission's toll free number 19988. "We have been carrying out regular inspections on different accommodation facilities especially in the central Madinah region to ensure a comfortable stay for pilgrims," he said.
