The SCTA said they would allow hotels and furnished apartments to hike prices by 30 percent and 50 percent respectively, from early July to late September.

However, citizens say this adds an extra burden on people who want to spend their vacation inside the Kingdom, reports local Arabic daily Al-Madinah.

The report, published on Thursday, said while owners and managers of hotels and furnished apartments welcomed the decision, citizens were not happy.

“The high prices of accommodation, in addition to other costs of domestic tourism, is a major reason why many citizens opt to spend their summer vacations in other countries,” said Saudi citizen Abdullah Al-Harbia.

He said once the high prices of hotels and furnished apartments were taken into account, the cost of domestic tourism would almost be the same as traveling to other countries over the summer.

Muhamamd Fawwaz is another citizen who agrees. “If the cost of domestic and overseas holidays is almost the same, why should I spend my vacation in the Kingdom?” he asked.

Saleh Al-Ali, a retired government employee, said the SCTA’s decision came as a shock to many people, claiming that the cost of staying in a hotel or furnished apartment was already high.

Yasin Al-Haj, manager of a furnished apartment, also objected to the decision, albeit for a different reason.

“The decision of the SCTA obliges us to raise our prices, which people already consider to be skyrocketing. I wished the SCTA had let the law of supply and demand govern prices instead,” he said.

Khaled Muhammad, an owner of a center of furnished apartments, said the SCTA’s decision was unnecessary.

“How can citizens who decide to spend their summer vacation in the Kingdom afford these prices?” he asked.

“This may be a big reason for people opting to pack their suitcases and fly to other countries.”

Ahmad Hassan, director of public relations for a block of furnished apartments, said though the decision was in favor of the investors, it would put staff in an embarrassing situation.

Another owner, who did not want his name to be published, hailed the decision and said it was wise considering the high rates of occupancy, which he claimed could easily reach 100 percent in summer.

He said customers were already used to the high prices of last year, which ranged between SR250 and SR500.

Meanwhile, Dr. Salah Al-Bakheet, SCTA’s vice chairman for investments, said the problem was not with high prices, but with the services provided by hotels and furnished apartments.