SCTA closes 11 lodging businesses in Makkah

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) shut down 11 unlicensed lodging and board businesses in Makkah on Friday.
The SCTA’s inspections were supported by the police forces and the Saudi Electricity Company and spanned the Grand Mosque’s central zone and the districts of Al Masfala, Al Sharae, Al Hafayer and Al Azizia. The unlicensed companies will be allowed to operate again once they resolve and amend their violations, according to an informed official at the SCTA.
Abdullah Al-Sawwat, the executive director of the SCTA in Makkah, urged investors to ensure that their businesses received authorization from the concerned government bodies and obtained all the necessary licenses to avoid penalties.
Al-Sawwat emphasized the determination of the SCTA and all concerned officials to close down violating establishments, adding “six of the 11 business that were shut down in Makkah around two weeks ago have rectified their violations and are now operating again.”
He pointed out that the owners of the unauthorized hotels and furnished apartments had been issued several warnings and given a grace period to rectify the situation of their establishments.