Jeddah’s hotels, furnished apartments and resorts are fully booked ahead of the 10-day spring break, which begins on March 21.

Many local residents are staying in the city, while others are heading to Kingdom cities such as Taif and Abha or as far as Dubai or Malaysia.

“We have reached a 100-percent occupancy rate during the spring break for the very first time,” said Abdulrahman Al-Qarni, a booking agent at a sea resort in Jeddah. “Around 20 percent of our guests come from Jeddah, while the rest come mostly from Riyadh, Madinah and Makkah,” he said.

Meanwhile, an official source at the central booking department at Saudi Arabian Airlines told Arab News that more than 60 percent of fully booked outgoing flights are to Dubai and Malaysia. “The rest are domestic flights, including Jeddah, Taif, Abha, Dammam, Madinah and Riyadh,” he said.

Hassan Muntashri, a local resident, told Arab News: “This year’s school holiday coincided with my annual vacation, so I want to spend it with family in Jeddah. I have already booked a place for a week on a Jeddah beach,” he said.

Hussain Ghalib, another Jeddah resident, said that he would prefer to go to Taif and Abha. “I have a family of seven and we plan to drive to these places. I have booked a furnished apartment in these places. Our summer resorts are no less beautiful than other places abroad. We have very beautiful scenery and an idyllic environment, not to mention the affordable prices,” he said.