Saudi Arabia To Enjoy Extended National Day Celebrations
When the Saudis are lined up in streets, the entire country is draped in green and fireworks light up the sky, it can simply mean one thing…it’s the Saudi Arabia National Day. Besides these celebrations, traditional dances and musical concerts are held, as well as camels are also paraded around. The fervor is intense. The zeal is real.
This month, expect the celebrations to be prolonged and more than before as the people of Saudi Arabia will enjoy a long weekend, commemorating the Kingdom’s 94th Saudi Arabia National Day holiday. Marked annually on September 23, the day commemorates the unification of the Kingdoms of Najd and Hijaz by King Abdulaziz in 1932. However, this year the Saudi National Day will fall on a Monday and with a Friday-Saturday weekend in the Kingdom, some employees will enjoy an extended holiday with Sunday, September 22 off as well.
So what’s the deal behind these grand celebrations, and what’s the history behind this great day? Let’s go on a brief but interesting history…
A Historical Background…
In 1932, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was nowhere to be seen on the world map. It wasn’t even named Saudi Arabia. It wasn’t the unified Kingdom as we know it today. In fact, the Arabian Peninsula was a disjointed region with many tribes who were in direct conflict with each other, scattered across the desert.
The credit goes to a visionary leader here, King Abdulaziz Al Saud, he was the one who united the Kingdoms of Najd and Hijaz, and eventually forming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as we know today. The Saudi National Day is held to commemorate this special occasion, the unification of 1932.
The first ever Saudi Arabia National Day took place in the September of 1932, and from then onwards, the tradition is celebrated every year, has been passed down by generations to honor this special chapter in the Kingdom’s history, a journey from scattered tribes to a unified nation.
Why Is Saudi National Day Celebrated?
So, why exactly is the Saudi National Day celebrated, besides the patriotic spirit and nationalistic joy and a truly joyous occasion? This is a special day for the Saudis. It has deep roots, and a historical context. This day allows the Saudis to celebrate their traditions, culture, unity and the new benchmarks the country is continuously setting in the modern world. However, there are a few objectives to celebrate the Saudi National Day. Let’s discuss them…
1- Celebrating the Kingdom’s Unification
This event, with its historical context, is a commemoration of the unification of the Kingdom under the visionary leadership of King Abdulaziz. Him unifying the Kingdom brought peace and stability, not only in the Arabian Peninsula, but had a greater impact in the region as well. This unification of the Kingdom gave birth to a national identity and patriotism. This day is celebrated to remind the citizens and residents, as well as the world of the leadership which transformed scattered tribes into a powerful, modern country that we now know as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2- Celebrating & Promoting National Pride
On this day, Saudis from all walks of life come together to celebrate not just the day, but also the Saudi tradition, culture and the principles which help founded the Kingdom, promoting a shared history, sense of pride and national identity.
3- Commemorating History & Culture
The Saudi people are pretty big on culture and history. They are a proud nation with a proud history. On the Saudi National Day, the shared culture and history, which are passed down generation after generation, are celebrated with incredible fervor. Traditional dances like the Al Ardha, music, concerts and exhibitions are held, showcasing, not only to the locals, but to a worldwide audience as well.
4– Highlighting Saudi Achievements
As mentioned above, Saudi Arabia has a proud history that the nation looks back on fondly. But the country has made significant impact in the modern world as well, and refuses to rest on its laurels. And on the Saudi Arabia National Day, the Kingdom takes pride in showcasing its incredible feats and growing influence on the global stage with initiatives like the Vision 2030, central to the Kingdom’s narrative in the modern world.
Is Saudi National Day Good For Business
The Saudi National Day isn’t just good for instilling patriotic values but it’s also great for the economy as well. Businesses across Saudi Arabia benefit from an increase in consumer activity every year. People flock from all over the world to Saudi Arabia to witness the Kingdom’s celebrations of the Saudi Arabia National Day, it could be Saudis returning home or tourists wanting to experience the culture firsthand. This gives a massive boost to the economy.
Since its inception in 2016, the General Entertainment Authority has licensed 4,500+ establishments to carry out entertainment activities and support them in 100+ cities across the Kingdom, illustrating the level of investment made on this day.
|
Category |
Number of Companies/Entities |
| Total Local and International Companies Licensed |
4,500+ |
| Event Management Companies |
1,206 |
| Venues Hosting Live Shows (e.g., Restaurants) |
1,579 |
| Foreign Entities Licensed |
70 |
A report from Argaam states that the total number of tourist visits to Saudi Arabia crossed well beyond the 70 million mark in 2022, with total expenses also exceeding 130 billion Saudi Riyals.
|
Period |
Domestic Tourists (million) |
Change (YoY) | Tourist Arrivals (million) | Change (YoY) |
Total Tourists (million) |
|
First Quarter |
18.5 | +18% | 2.5 | +390% |
21.0 |
|
Second Quarter |
21.4 | +42% | 3.6 | +575% |
25.0 |
|
Third Quarter |
22.7 |
+35% | 4.4 | +455% |
27.1 |
|
Total |
62.6 |
— | 10.5 | — |
73.1 |
In 2021, the number of tourists during the first nine months in Saudi Arabia were 67.3 million, the total number of tourists increased by the end of the first nine months of 2022 by about 5.8 million, and the table below depicts the total number of tourists since 2015:
|
Year |
Domestic Tourists (million) | Tourist Arrivals (million) |
Total Tourists (million) |
|
2015 |
46.5 | 18.0 |
64.4 |
|
2016 |
45.0 | 18.0 |
63.1 |
|
2017 |
43.8 | 16.1 |
59.9 |
|
2018 |
43.3 | 15.3 |
58.6 |
| 2019 | 47.8 | 17.5 |
65.3 |
|
2020 |
42.1 | 4.1 |
46.2 |
|
2021 |
63.9 | 3.5 |
67.3 |
|
First 9 months of 2022 |
62.6 | 10.5 |
73.1 |
The theme for this year’s celebrations is “We Dream, We Achieve,” inspired by the massive projects that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken as part of its ambitious Vision 2030. These grand projects are supported and led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, showcasing the Vision 2030’s projects such as the Red Sea Project, NEOM, The Line, the Sindalah Project and the Electric Car (CEER) Project, among others. These massive projects are hosted by the Kingdom, and the objective is to meet the ambitions and aspirations of beneficiaries, while making a difference on a global scale.
What’s Different About Saudi National Day 2024?
According to Al Arabiya, multiple events / concerts, performances and airforce shows could enthrall the Saudi, as citizens and residents mark the holiday in style. Also, the exciting bit of news this year is that the Saudi National Day is falling on a Monday and with a Friday-Saturday weekend in Saudi Arabia, some employees will enjoy an extended holiday with Sunday, September 22 off as well.
At its core, the Saudi National Day is a celebration of unity, progress, and national pride. It’s also a day of commemoration of the Kingdom’s history, their present, and the national objectives for the future. The Saudi National Day is not just a holiday, it’s when the entire Saudi nation comes together, remembering its past glories but looking forward to its future goals.
