Saudi Gazette report

MAKKAH — With about 1,100 hotels hosting millions of occupants every year, Makkah has become the number one city in the Arab World in the number of hotels surpassing Dubai which has for many years topped all the Arab cities in the number of hotels, according to Makkah daily on Saturday.

The committee on hotels of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) said the majority of the hotels are located around the Grand Mosque and they vary from one star to five.

Chamber's chairman, Hisham Kaaki, said the hotels in the holy city annually host more than 10 million occupants.

He was talking on Friday at the end of an exhibition on the hotels furniture which was held at the Sabeen hall of the chamber's headquarters.

Abdullah Filali, chairman of the committee on hotels at the chamber, said more than 30 national furniture companies came together to provide furniture for the hotels instead of importing it from outside.

"The companies have relieved the hotels owners from traveling to the outside to import furniture," he said.