During holiday seasons, including Eid Al-Fitr, recreational and entertainment centers in Riyadh generate 35 percent of their total revenues for the whole year, dealers said.

Turnover for recreational centers increased by 300 percent during Eid holidays. Family spending ranged between SR500 to SR2,000 per capita in these seasons, local media said quoting the dealers.

Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Committee at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Majid Al-Hukair said the recreational centers are meeting all requirements of families in all parts of the Kingdom. There are open or closed recreational centers within shopping malls, he said.

Riyadh has 25 recreational centers, which are generating 35 percent of their revenues during Eid season, he noted. All security and safety measures have been observed at the recreational sites to ensure the safety of the attendees, he said.

Salih Al-Suwaidi, owner of a recreational center, said during Eid Saudi and foreign families head for the leisure cities. He attributed the big turnout during Eid Al-Fitr season to the fact that Riyadh population has its own specialty compared to other cities where families are normally engaged in Ramadan evening prayers (taraweeh) and watching TV. Therefore, Eid holiday is considered an ‘outlet’ for families, he said.

The growing number of foreign families during the last few years was one of major reasons for the big turnout to recreational centers and they have become a key purchasing power in the cities and, thus, have positive impact on the national economy. Al-Suwaidi said prices of the cities see no increases but discounts are canceled during Eid holidays and are activated in the remaining period of the year.

Head of Tourism Committee at RCCI Mohammed Al-Muajjal said the open recreational centers are experiencing a decrease vis-à-vis the closed cities located within the shopping malls. The volume of investments in the recreational centers in the city is estimated at 1 billion riyals, he said.

Based on data of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the rate of consumption in the recreational sector averaged SR2.1 billion in 2012. Revenues of entertainment centers touched SR1.5 billion of which 48.7 percent is generated from e-games and 27.5 percent from the entrance fees, according to the SCTA data.