Jeddah residents have expressed dismay at rest house owners taking advantage of demand by charging extortionate prices during Eid.

Rent for a single night skyrocketed to SR4,000, especially during the four days marking the festive season.

They stressed the need for authorities to intervene and stop such an unethical practice.

Hussein Bakerman, a Jeddah resident, said that he and his family used to look forward to spending the Eid holidays in a quiet rest house, either in Jeddah or elsewhere.

“I am never able to find a single booking even if I don’t mind paying any amount to get one thanks to high demand.”

“You can’t even get reservations well in advance,” he said. “Rents double during these holiday seasons.”

According to Khaled Zarie, another city resident, there is a huge spike in demand for rest houses during the Eid, not only in Jeddah, but across the country.

“Rents sometimes even exceed the SR4,000 mark,” he said.

“People book way in advance to ensure they have secured something,” Zarie said. “I would even pay the bill in advance to rule out any possibility of double-booking.”

Ahmed Fawaz, the owner of a small rest house, said he keeps a few rooms aside for his own family during Eid in spite of the fact that he could make huge profits by renting them out.

Munir Hamid, another resident, said Saudis and expatriates usually book their rooms well in advance for fear of the holiday rush.

“They prefer to spend their holidays in a quiet surrounding, since all other venues, including amusement cities, parks, beach, malls and souks in the city, would undoubtedly be crowded.”

“Rest houses also give families privacy,” he said.