Umrah propels Makkah hotel occupancy to 90%

Makkah’s hotel occupancy has risen to more than 90 percent around the central area of the Grand Mosque, raising hopes among investors that they will recoup some of their losses from last year.
A total of 1.7 million people have come on Umrah since the season opened in December.
The government reduced the number of pilgrims last year because of the expansion taking place at the Grand Mosque.
Hotel investor Fahd Al-Withinani told Arab News that the season got off to a strong start this year probably because Umrah firms and individuals were more aware of the limits on pilgrim numbers.
Another investor Mazen Drar agreed with this view and said investors now hope to make up for last year’s losses.
Al-Withinani said pilgrims came from inside the Kingdom, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria and Sudan. There were fewer pilgrims from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.
Another investor, Awaid Al-Fahmi, said many Saudis opted to spend the midterm school vacation with their families in Makkah this year.
A room overlooking the Grand Mosque costs SR1,000 a day, while rooms without a view are about SR700 to SR850 a day. Prices in areas around Mahbas Al-Jin and Al-Azizia ranged between SR400 and SR600 for a room a day.