Saudi Arabia: Medina hotels fully booked on Eid holiday

Cairo: Occupancy rates have peaked at hotels in the Saudi holy city of Medina, home to Islam’s second holiest site.

The hotels there have seen a surge in reservations and occupancy since the final days of this past Islamic holy month of Ramadan followed by Eid Al Fitr that began on Wednesday, according to hotel operators.

Increasing numbers of pilgrims and visitors have flocked to Medina in recent days to perform prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque and spend the Eid holiday in the city.

Fahd Shehata, an hotel manager in Medina, said the hotel reached its full capacity during the final week of Ramadan. He was quoted by Saudi news portal Sabq as citing “intense efforts” made by competent sectors that contributed to success of the Ramadan and Eid season in the city.

These efforts included readying the mosque to receive an influx of worshippers, crowd management and facilitating traffic in the vicinity.

The Prophet’s Mosque witnessed a surge in worshippers for attending the completion of the Holy Quran on the eve of the 29th Ramadan Sunday night amid efforts from authorities to ensure smooth and comfortable services for the faithful.

Ramadan usually marks the peak season of Umrah or lesser pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, in Mecca, particularly in the last 10 days of Ramadan.

After performing Umrah, many pilgrims would head to Medina to offer prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque and visit other Islamic landmarks in the city.

In recent months, Saudi Arabia has introduced a slew of facilities for Muslims wishing to visit the kingdom to undertake Umrah.