JEDDAH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) warned Friday furnished apartments and hotels against raising their rates in Jeddah and Makkah following the heavy rains that lashed the two cities over the weekend. “No excuses will be accepted if the rates are hiked and any violation will be punishable,” said Muhammad Al-Amri, the executive director of SCTA in the Makkah region. Al-Amri urged residents to report any suspected increase in the daily rate of hotels and furnished apartment in the region at fax 02-420-3344. Reports should include the name of the furnished apartment complex or the hotel, room type, and the quoted price. If the report is verified, the name of the apartment hotel will be forwarded to the Makkah Emirate for legal action, he said. The SCTA has dispatched its inspectors in Makkah and Jeddah to check on the current rates offered by hotels and furnished apartments, he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has provided shelter for over 80 families from the Umm Al-Khair District, which was badly hit by the Thursday's floods. The families will be housed in furnished apartment for at least a week, said Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, a housing representative of the Ministry of Finance. “We will accept all applications for help with housing from all affected families by the last floods,” he said. For verification purposes, a housing committee would visit the house of the affected family before processing their application, he added.
