The accommodation sector in tourist locations across the Kingdom regained their vigor during the just-concluded Eid, with the average rate of occupancy reaching 100 percent in coastal cities such as Jeddah, while occupancy in hotels and furnished apartments going well over 80 percent.
Khalil Bahadour, member of the National Committee for Tourism and Hotels, was quoted yesterday in the business daily Al-Eqtisadiah saying reservations for accommodations in tourist spots started as early as mid-Ramadan.
“The resorts, hotels and furnished apartments have registered the highest rate of occupancy in many years,” he said, adding that the high temperature and the school summer vacation have greatly contributed to the high rate of occupancy.
Bahadour said the huge demand for occupancy at sea resorts and chalets during Eid drove many of them to initiate what is known as a “day use service” during which occupants were allowed to use the resorts during the day and part of the evening. “The day use charge per individual was SR 100, with the resorts and chalets expected to make upwards of SR 130 million,” he said.
According to Bahadour, the charge for the “day use service” was less than five-fold of the night reservation. “Families preferred this service because it included free lunch in addition to enjoying all entertainment activities organized during the day time,” he explained.
Under this service, occupants could use the resorts and chalets for the entire day and part of the evening, but would not be allowed to stay for the night. Muhammad Saeed Al-Adlouni, director for a company which owns and runs a number of sea resorts in Obhur, said the “day use service” was used limitedly during the year, but this time it was applied extensively. “The low rate of this service enabled families to spend time at the sea at less cost,” he said.
Mahmoud Keelani, director for a number of furnished apartments in Jeddah, said occupancy reached more than 80 percent during Eid. “This was due to the large number of people who came from other regions to spend Eid in Jeddah,” he said.
Keelani denied that accommodation prices were increased to take advantage of the high demand during Eid, and said if there was an increase, it was not more than 10 percent.
Resorts occupancy reaches 100 percent during Eid celebration
Resorts occupancy reaches 100 percent during Eid celebration
Check Your Health campaign launched in AlUla
ALULA: AlUla Healthcare Center has launched its Check Your Health campaign to raise awareness and encourage members of the community to undergo preventive screenings to aid the early detection of issues.
The initiative aims to reinforce the concept of prevention over treatment while maintaining community health.
The launch was attended by Talal bin Faris Al-Faqir, deputy governor of AlUla; Dr. Bayan Al-Ahmadi, director of Prince Abdulmohsen Hospital; and a number of representatives from government agencies, along with local residents.
The initiative targets residents, visitors, and citizens by offering 10 essential preventive screenings. These enable beneficiaries to monitor health, helping with the diagnosis of disease in its early stages and managing the issue proactively through a comprehensive package of approved tests.
Tests include an assessment of cholesterol, blood pressure measurement, heart rate and blood oxygen saturation measurement, body mass index, fasting blood sugar test, HbA1c test, total cholesterol test, LDL cholesterol assessment, and a test for triglycerides.
The campaign is being launched during Ramadan to encourage healthy practices at a time when members of the community can visit primary healthcare centers.
