High prices have ruined the vacation plans of many families.

Jeddah’s residents have expressed outrage at the prohibitive rates at which chalets and beach villas are rented out.

Customers told Arab News that prices increase on weekends and public holidays, when the majority of families go on vacation. Vacationers said the steep rise in prices is caused by many black market dealers who sabotage the existence of affordable housing.

Naif Zaher called on authorities to control what he describes as unjustified trade. “The Trade Ministry and the Consumer Protection Association need to regulate pricing according to venue classifications and sizes and implement strict control mechanisms to ensure that these facilities apply regulations,” Zaher told Arab News.

“Authorities need to put an end to holiday venues exploiting families who want to take some time off.”

Mohammed Al-Shahri, a resident, was shocked to learn of the astonishing change in chalet rental prices in a single night. His family had rented a small beach villa for SR1,500, but the park asked them to pay SR4,000 for an extra night as it happened to be a Thursday.

Al-Shahri said that the not-so-attainable prices didn’t match the venue descriptions and service standards. “Where are the authorities to check this unreasonable pricing?” he asked angrily.

Ibrahim Abdel Wadoud had compared prices between regular weekdays and weekends. “A small villa in Durrat Al-Arous park, north of Jeddah, costs between SR800 and SR1,000 per night on weekdays, but reaches up to SR4,000 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays,” he said.

Radi was asked to pay SR5,000 for a 300-meter rest area on the second day of Eid. “I eventually held the huge family gathering at my house to avoid paying unreasonable fees,” Radi said.

An official at the Trade Ministry’s Jeddah branch told Arab News that the ministry is organizing systematic tours to inspect the prices of vacation venues in Jeddah. The official called on citizens to report any unauthorized price hikes to the ministry for officials to take punitive action.