Saudi National Day
Saudi National Day (Arabic: اليوم الوطني للمملكة العربية السعودية al-Yawm al-Waṭanī lil-Mamlaka al-ʿArabiyya as-Saʿūdiyya) is celebrated annually in Saudi Arabia on September 23 to commemorate the renaming of the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its proclamation by a royal decree of King Abdul Aziz al-Saud in 1932.[1]
| اليوم الوطني للمملكة العربية السعودية Saudi National Day | |
|---|---|
 Current Flag of Saudi Arabia | |
| Official name | Saudi National Day |
| Observed by | Saudi Arabia |
| Type | National |
| Significance | Proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Date | 23 September |
| Next time | 23 September 2023 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 23 September 2007 |
23 September was first observed when King Faisal issued a royal decree on 21 August 1965 that declared the day to be celebrated at official levels as per the Gregorian calendar.[2] In 2005, King Abdullah issued a royal decree that officially declared it a national holiday from 2007 onwards.[3][4]The number of lunar, not solar, years are commemorated.[5]
Establishment of Saudi Arabia
King Abdulaziz was able to conquer the oases of Riyadh in 1902; and al-Hasa in 1913, and by 1925, he unified both Nejd and the Hejaz after defeating the forces of Sharif Hussein. On 23 September 1932, King Abdulaziz changed the name of his realm to his family name, the House of Saud.
Customs
Saudi National Day is celebrated with folk dances, songs, and traditional festivities. Roads and buildings are decorated with Saudi flags, and people wear the national colours of green and white, and display balloons in the same.[6]
Events and occasions on the same day
- 2005: King Abdullah announces that Saudi National Day became an official holiday.
- 2009: King Abdullah opened the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, in the presence of foreign heads of state.
- 2014: Jeddah unveils the tallest flagpole in the world
- 2015: Saudi National Day is first celebrated officially.
References
- "History". Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- "King Faisal began official celebrations of National Day in 1965". Saudigazette. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- Eman Alhussein (1 June 2019). "Saudi First: How Hyper-Nationalism is Transforming Saudi Arabia" (PDF). European Council on Foreign Relations. JSTOR resrep21640. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- Podeh, Elie (30 June 2011). The Politics of National Celebrations in the Arab Middle East. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-00108-4.
- "اليوم الوطني / مبنى "إثراء" يروي تاريخ المملكة وكالة الأنباء السعودية". www.spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- "Saudi Arabia marks national day with fireworks, and concerts". Muslim Global. Retrieved 24 September 2017.