Jeddawis say they cannot find plumbers, carpenters, electricians and drivers because of the government's crackdown, which has seen over 900,000 illegal expatriate workers deported.

Saud Abdulaziz, a 58-year-old Saudi, said he noticed the effect on the services sector while shopping in Jeddah. He said carpenters and plumbers who are available have raised their prices by 50 percent.

Majid Hassan, a primary school teacher, said it was difficult to find a carpenter even at high wages.

“I asked residents about carpenters but they seemed to have disappeared. They used to stay around Jeddah's eastern roundabout,” he said.

Mahmoud Badr, an Egyptian veterinarian, said almost all service workers had disappeared. "I was looking for a plumber but couldn’t find one."

Abu Maher, a 49-year-old citizen, said fees of satellite dish technicians have increased. “We support reforming and organizing the market, but there should be a suitable alternative for expatriates,” he said.

Economist Yasin Al-Jafri said the departing expatriates would affect services and consumption.

Fawaz Al-Alami, who led the Saudi negotiating team to the World Trade Organization, said there would be a negative impact in the short term, but a positive effect in the long term. He said most departing workers might not be needed in the market. If they were, they would have been able to correct their status. He said there were sufficient workers for vehicle workshops, laundries and supermarkets.

An official of the Consumer Protection Committee said vegetable and fruit prices have gone up, especially those of tomatoes. He said this was a temporary phenomenon and the pries would go down within six months.

Law enforcement officers have arrested thousands of workers since the amnesty ended on Nov. 3. This has seen many expat-run businesses close across the city.