With a high turnover in sales, real estate agents — who are locally known as Al-Shiraitis — are able to generate huge profits. Many of them tour the holy city looking for empty land to sell.

“I used to own a plot of land at Al-Nuwariyyah, which I had encircled with cement blocks to signify that I owned it. A month later I saw a signboard saying the land was up for sale and asked interested buyers to call a mobile number,” said Fahd Al-Sharif, a Saudi citizen.

“I telephoned the number and agreed to meet the man at a certain place to negotiate a purchase. After 20 minutes of negotiations, I showed my deeds to the seller and took him to the police,” he said.

Al-Sharif added that police also discovered that the man’s friend owned a plot of land close to his land and that the man wanted to sell the land without his friend finding out.

Ahmad Alaya, another Saudi citizen, said that four years ago he owned a 1,000-square meter plot of land in Al-Shouqiyyah district that he did not want to sell because prices were increasing day by day.

“I once visited this plot and noticed a small signboard indicating that it was up for sale. I didn’t give it much attention, but when I came back about a month later I saw a larger signboard with a mobile phone number written on it asking interested buyers to call,” he said.

“I called the number and set an appointment with the broker who confessed to me that he did not actually own the land and that he had looked for the owner for a long time and had put the signboard up to attract his attention,” he said.

Alaya said one agent offered him triple the price of the land, but he refused. “I know the price will go higher and I’m waiting for that. Then I will decide whether to sell or not,” he said.

Marwan Muhammad said he fell out with one of his relatives because of an estate agent.

“I used to have a piece of land in Al-Buhairat area of Al-Nuriyyah district that a relative wanted to buy. When I refused, he told me I should contact him first if I ever thought of selling,” he said.

“A few days later, I saw a signboard declaring the land was for sale. I became very angry with my relative and severed all relations with him. However, after some investigations, I found out that it was a real estate agent and not my relative who had put the signboard up, but the harm was already done and I lost my relative,” said Muhammad.