RIYADH: Traffic congestion has not declined over the past few days in most Saudi cities. This is the case despite the number of people who have left to go to other places, both inside and outside the Kingdom for the vacation period.

The majority of apartments and hotels in the cities, especially in Riyadh, are packed with customers. Visitors can hardly find a vacancy anywhere due to the large number of people coming from nearby towns and villages, a local publication reported.

According to the website of Ar-Riyadh Development Authority (ADA), Riyadh sees a large increase in population during holiday periods. This increase is in addition to its usual 5.5 million regular residents.

The prices of furnished apartments in the city vary from SR200 to SR500 per room per night and from SR300 to SR800 for two rooms during the high season. At the same time, during other times of the year, the same prices may be no more than SR100. This clearly indicates the price hikes during vacation periods.

The prices of apartments depend on their classification. The first level generally applies to apartments that come with services, in addition to other things such as the quality of the furniture, the Internet, the pool and nearby restaurants. The second level involves lower standards, with standards continuing to decrease for the third and other lower classifications.

A number of apartment owners have criticized the recent prices set by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, describing the prices as too high which means that they do not attract customers.

The owners said that they tend to lower prices during vacations in order to attract as many customers as possible. Competition is great and there are a number of choices available. Some owners remain committed to the prices set by the commission, asserting that the demand for furnished apartments in Riyadh is very high, so they can afford to keep the prices high.

Khalid Alshagli, a citizen from Riyadh, said of the issue: “We suffer from ‘traffic confusion’ here in the city with motorists not abiding by traffic regulations. In most cities there are simply rush hours, but in Riyadh it is rush hour all day long from sunrise until midnight.”

Osama Saad, a visitor from Darma, said: “We came to Riyadh to visit the markets, restaurants and parks, and to take advantage of the availability of stores for shopping. Most of our relatives who lived in Riyadh have left so we have come to take their places.”