Hotel prices in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, rose by 31% during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in August 2010.

The average night rate in August stood at $568 this year, up from $433 in August 2009, according to data from HotelsCombined.com, a hotel price comparison search engine.

The pilgrims extended their travels this year by an average of seven nights, up from five nights in 2009.

There are indications that hotel prices for Hajj in 2010, the annual Muslim pilgrimage taking place in November, will be triple that of Ramadan in 2010 for independent travellers.

Hoteliers are expecting record numbers of pilgrims on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.