Since Wednesday, the last day of school, Madinah started to bustle with visitors from various parts of the Kingdom and other GCC countries.

Subsequently, trade flourished particularly in the central area close to the Prophet's Mosque. According to hoteliers, occupancy rose to about 60 percent.

Many Madinah residents who used to spend the mid-year school vacation in Jeddah decided to steer clear.

Instead, they opted to go to Al-Baydha public park, 30 km northwest of the Prophet's Mosque and also to the nearby city of Rabigh on the Red Sea. The Al-Baydha area is famous for its beautiful scenery, high mountains and moderate weather.

“The desert spots and public parks in Madinah are the only options for me now in view of the rains and floods in Jeddah,” said Madinah resident Ahmad Ashraf. He said he used to take his family to Jeddah during the mid-year school vacation to visit family and friends and spend time on the beach. “The rains and floods forced me to look for other places. I may spend part of the vacation in Yanbu.”

Khaled Al-Alwani, another resident, said in view of the current situation in Jeddah, many local residents would this time spend their vacation in Rabigh. “Many families who cannot afford the high prices of hotels and resorts in Rabigh will drive to the city early in the morning and come back late evening,” he said.

Naif Al-Mutairi said he used to travel to Jeddah for the mid-year holidays, but has settled for spending the two-week vacation in Madinah. “This time I will go out to the desert and spend the whole vacation in Madinah,” he said.

He noted that many Jeddawis had come to Madinah for the mid-year vacation. “Jeddah residents have traveled away from the damaged city. They came to Madinah to pay homage to the Prophet, enjoy the public attractions and escape the fear of rains and floods,” he said.

Many Jeddah residents who used to travel to Cairo this time of year were also obliged to seek other places because of the ongoing unrest in Egypt and so Madinah became their second choice. There are many tourist attractions in Madinah for visitors, including the historic mosques, the Uhud cemetery and the public parks.