Dubai: Hotels in Dubai have seen a jump in Saudi Arabian guests over the last week as many have flown in to the city for the one-week school holiday. Dubai is a popular holiday destination for Saudi nationals, with 1.34 million of them having stayed at its hotels and hotel apartments last year, according to the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, an affiliate of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Saudi Arabia is the emirate’s top tourism source market.

Hotel apartments across the city have seen a large number of Saudi families check-in since last Friday. At Golden Sands Hotel Apartments in Bur Dubai, Saudis accounted for 30 per cent of its guests this week, said Mohammad Khoori, general manager.

The price of a one-room studio per night at Golden Sands starts from Dh500. Khoori said the property has been at least 95 per cent occupied this week.

Tareq Aouni, general manager of Emirates Grand Hospitality, which owns Emirates Grand Hotel and Emirates Grand Hotel Apartments, said that Saudis made up between 30 and 35 per cent of its guests this week.

“The Saudi market segment has always been the highest contributor off the leisure segment for the hotel and this year too has remained the highest among other nationalities,” he said.

Ibn Battuta Mall

When asked about the growth of Saudi guests at his company’s properties during this time of year, Aouni said guest numbers have increased without stating a percentage.

Some shopping malls in Dubai have seen an influx of visitors in recent days, helped by the increase in Saudi tourists in the emirate.

“Ibn Battuta Mall has welcomed around 200,000 people per weekend since the Saudi Arabian spring break began earlier this month, compared to an average 180,000,” said Omar Khoory, director of Nakheel Retail, in a statement.

Saudis are big spenders. They spent $35 million (Dh128.5 million) on their Visa cards in the first half of the Dubai Shopping Festival this year.

Dubai attracted 11.6 million guests in 2014, up 5.6 per cent over the previous year. The number of hotel and hotel apartment rooms have grown to reach 92,333.