A STATISTICAL report released recently by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) reveals that the rate of occupancy in hotels in Makkah during the first half of 2010 (from January to June) reached 54.6 per cent compared to 52.6 in the same period last year, representing two per cent growth, while the occupancy in furnished flats reached 50.2 percent for the first quarter of 2010, compared to 47.5 per cent during the same time last year, a growth rate of 2.7 per cent.

The report, released by MAS, also reported an increase in the numbers of sold rooms reaching 14,669,364 during the same period compared with 13,384,319 in 2009, a growth rate of 9.6 per cent.

The number of sold flats in furnished units reached 13,777,109 in 2010, compared with 16,401,926 for the same period last year, an increase of 16 per cent.

April reported the highest rate of hotel room occupancy at 2,662,345 rooms, 59.8 per cent, followed by March at 59.5 percent, with the total of sold rooms reaching 2,7736,531. The highest rate of occupancy in furnished flats in March reached 52.1 per cent at 2,481,960.

The report indicated Makkah province leads the other provinces across the kingdom for the number of hotel rooms sold, at 8,575,402, a growth rate of 52.3 per cent.

Al Madinah city was in second position with 4,291,713 sold rooms, an increase of 59.1 percent. Riyadh province ranked third with an occupancy rate of 59.9 per cent and 1,036,427 sold rooms.

Makkah also reported the highest rate of occupancy of sold furnished flats throughout the kingdom with 5,133,572, a growth rate of 47.5 per cent. Riyadh came in second with 2,475,353 and growth of 66.2 per cent. Al Madinah ranked third with an occupancy rate of 41.4 per cent and the number of sold flats reaching 2,456,491.

The highest rate of occupancy was for properties of 150 to 299 rooms, in which the occupancy rate reached 56.6 per cent, those with 80 to 149 rooms reached 51.1 percent.

For furnished flats, the highest rate of occupancy was for units up to 39 apartments, in which the occupancy rate reached 54.2 per cent, those with 150-299 apartments were at 41 per cent.