Prices have risen in accordance with the demand, with some furnished apartments rising to SR350 per night, up from the SR120 per night in the off season.

“I was shocked at the prices but I was forced to pay up in the end,” said Ahmad Al-Dossari, who came to Madinah from Dammam. “This is extortion and they are taking advantage of the season.”

The seasonal rise in demand (and therefore prices) hits visitors with the least amount of disposable income, forcing them to stay farther than they wish from the Prophet’s Mosque.

Ahmad Al-Ruwaili, a visitor from Jeddah, said it took him two months to save enough money to spend five days in Madinah with his family.

“The middle- and low-income employee is the victim in this case because we cannot afford the price increases,” he said.