Angry customers have reported that in recent weeks several restaurants and cafes along Jeddah's corniche have raised their prices tenfold, with some of these establishments imposing minimum charges of up to SR200 per person or an entrance fee of SR 70.

So far, officials from the Jeddah municipality, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Commerce have failed to address the issue.

Customers in the area have called for authorities to intervene and increase monitoring in order to put an end to exaggerated price increases, noting that many of these facilities are operated by foreign nationals who exploit families and customers looking to eat or drink at these locations.

At some some of these establishments, the price of a glass of juice has increased from SR5 to SR30 or more, while sodas are sold for SR8 and tea for nearly SR18. Some restaurants charge up to SR7 for a bottle of water.

As for hookahs, prices have gone as high as SR75, despite being valued at only SR10 to SR 20 before in the same establishments. At one park along the corniche, the entrance fee alone is SR50 per person, excluding all other costs for meals and entertainment. Booking a table can cost upward of SR100, while some impose a minimum charge of SR200 per person at the weekend.

The head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in Makkah, Mohammed Al-Amri, said the commission is monitoring all entertainment sites within the city and along the waterfront areas. In these places, Al-Amri said, prices are determined based on the rating of the place, and penalties are imposed on violators. He said monitoring restaurants and entertainment sites is the responsibility of the Jeddah municipality, which should be involved in overseeing the prices and quality of services as per predetermined standards.

Spokesman for Jeddah municipality Mohammed Al-Buqmi refuted Al-Amri’s comments. “Monitoring prices and services at restaurants and entertainment sites in Jeddah is the responsibility of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,” Al-Buqmi stated, noting that the role of the municipality is to address environmental and health concerns, such as hygiene.

An official source at the Ministry of Commerce, however, claimed that the ministry is not responsible for the restaurants, explaining that the responsibility lies with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquties.

The president of the Consumer Protection Association, Suliman Al-Samahy, said the association welcomes complaints from those affected by the increase in prices. An authorized team follows up on these issues and submits reports to the Ministry of Commerce for necessary action, he said, noting that no organization has the right to increase or cut prices without prior coordination with official authorities.

Omar Al-Kholi, law professor at King Abdulaziz University and legal adviser to the National Society for Human Rights in Jeddah, pointed out that restaurants have no right to charge customers service charges and are not allowed to enforce a minimum charge for orders.

According to Abdurahman Al-Sonia, a marketing professor at the Faculty of Business Administration in Jeddah, almost everywhere where large portions of the population tend to gather are more susceptible to see their prices increase dramatically.