As the streets of the holy city are overcrowded during the holy month of Ramadan, the best means of transport are motorbikes that can weave through narrow alleys and busy streets.
This has become a flourishing business for many in Makkah. Some of them make more than SR150 a day using their motorbikes to transport pilgrims to and from the Grand Mosque.
The motorbike owners usually gather at the central area around the Haram where they offer their services. They attract a variety of customers from visitors to Makkah residents.
Ali Jameel is a merchant who owns a shop in the Ajyad area near the Grand Mosque. He told Arab News that since the start of Ramadan he would park his car in the Mahbas Al-Jin area and take a minibus for SR5 from there to his shop near the Haram.
"Things were okay until the middle of Ramadan, when the congestion made it difficult for small cars or minibuses to go near the Haram," he said.
"I had no other option but to travel on a motorbike. The drivers have kept on increasing their prices every day to around SR30 from SR10 since the beginning of the fasting month."
Jameel expected the prices to go up even further during the last 10 days of Ramadan, when a large number of people from within and outside the Kingdom go to Makkah for Umrah.
"I have no option. I have to pay the fare no matter how high. This is the only way I can reach my shop and go from there to my car," he said.
Pilgrim Mutassim Rizq, who was listening to Arab News' conversation with Jameel in the courtyard of the Haram, decided to share his experience.
He said he came from Jeddah and parked his car in the Al-Rusaifah parking lot. He said he immediately went to the driver of a motorbike and asked him to take him to the Haram and pick him up.
"I agreed to pay him SR55 for the journey to and from the Haram. I paid him half the price and I am now waiting for him to come and take me back to my car," he said.
Youssef Hassan, another pilgrim, said he came from Taif and parked his car at the Al-Sharaia parking lot. He said he took a minibus to the Haram, but when it arrived at the Al-Hijoun area traffic came to a standstill.
"I thought I would walk the rest of the way to the Haram, but people told me that it would be too far. They advised me to take a motorbike, which I did," he said.
"I agreed to pay him SR25 and told him that this was the first time in my life I was riding a motorbike. He asked me not to be frightened and to hold onto him tight. I did what he told me to do until I arrived safely at the Grand Mosque."
Abu Hilal, who owns a motorbike, said during the month of Ramadan he makes more than SR2,700, if not more.
"It is a good means of transport for pilgrims to and from the Haram. I am making a good living from it," he said.
Muhammad Kano, who knows all about the value of the motorbikes during the peak seasons in Makkah, said he started this business about four years ago. He now has nine motorbikes. He buys them second-hand at SR500 each and sells them to drivers for SR1,000, which they pay at the end of the month.
"I make a profit of SR500 from each motorbike and SR4,500 in total from the nine machines," he added.
Kano said buying and selling motorbikes for the transport of pilgrims is a good business in Makkah, especially during Ramadan when cars are banned from the Haram area.