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General Entertainment Authority Announces Activities Marking Saudi Arabia’s 93rd National Day

A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file photo)
A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file photo)
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General Entertainment Authority Announces Activities Marking Saudi Arabia’s 93rd National Day

A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file photo)
A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file photo)

The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced on Monday the activities for the 93rd National Day across Saudi Arabia.

The day is being celebrated under the slogan “We Dream and Achieve”.

Among the activities in store are the “We're Racing Dreams” show of military and civil aircraft that will be held over Riyadh, Taif, Al-Baha, Asir and Tabuk on September 23.

Similar shows will take place over Jeddah's northern corniche on September 20 and the Khobar Corniche on September 27.

Public and private entities participating in the event are: the Presidency of the Saudi Royal Guard, the Presidency of State Security, the ministries of defense, interior, and national guard, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Matarat Holding, the Saudi Air Navigation Services, the Saudi Aviation Club, SAUDIA Airlines, Flynas, and the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, which will stream live the national day main show on the Saudi channel.

The show will also include a military parade that will display military equipment. It will be led by horses and feature musical bands of the Saudi Royal Guard, the Ministry of the National Guard, and the General Directorate of Border Guards.

The Ministry of Interior will organize the "Pride of the Nation 2" event, following the great success the event enjoyed last year.

Attendees will learn about various national security achievements and the ministry's efforts to develop complex security systems and improve its capabilities and services. The event will take place at Riyadh Front from September 21 to 24.

GEA will mark this special occasion with massive fireworks show in over 15 different locations in the Kingdom, including Boulevard Riyadh City, the Art Promenade in Jeddah, King Abdullah Park in Dammam, King Abdullah Environmental Park in Al-Ahsa, and King Abdullah National Park in Buraydah.

A drone light show portraying Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the Saudi flag will illuminate the Riyadh sky at 9 pm on Saturday.

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‘Cute and Murderous’: How Squid Game’s Iconic Killer Doll Came to Life 

Players take part in the Red Light, Green Light game at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium ahead of the release of the Netflix series Squid Game: Season 2 on December 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 22, 2024. (Reuters)
Players take part in the Red Light, Green Light game at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium ahead of the release of the Netflix series Squid Game: Season 2 on December 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 22, 2024. (Reuters)
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‘Cute and Murderous’: How Squid Game’s Iconic Killer Doll Came to Life 

Players take part in the Red Light, Green Light game at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium ahead of the release of the Netflix series Squid Game: Season 2 on December 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 22, 2024. (Reuters)
Players take part in the Red Light, Green Light game at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium ahead of the release of the Netflix series Squid Game: Season 2 on December 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 22, 2024. (Reuters)

While the second season of "Squid Game" has new plot twists, one element of the Netflix mega-hit series where contestants down on their luck risk their lives to play children's games for the chance of winning cash prizes, has remained constant.

That is Young-hee, an innocent-looking robotic doll who in fact has a deadly role in the South Korean-made television series to find contestants to gun down playing the game "Red Light, Green Light" if she spots them moving.

Young-hee, who is clad in a simple orange dress and a hair clip, has become a viral meme on social media and the centerpiece of the streaming giant's promotional campaign.

Chae Kyoung-sun, the production designer for "Squid Game", said the doll's appearance had been partly inspired by her own daughter.

"My daughter had a bowl cut for a long time which was very cute so I decided to draw a very short bang," Chae told Reuters.

"Her eyes are a little crazy. She's a killing machine and the movement of her eyes had to be easy to see, so we made her eyes quite big."

The initial inspiration for Young-hee came from a girl of the same name on the cover of old primary school textbooks in South Korea, though the killer doll was initially conceived as genderless, Chae said.

The first season of "Squid Game" became the most-watched show on the streaming platform and expectations were high for the second season to replicate the success.

The new season of the dystopian thriller, released on Dec. 26, also broke a record as the most-watched show in its premiere week on the streaming platform, with 68 million views, according to Netflix.

The streaming giant said on Tuesday it gained a record 18.9 million subscribers in its fourth quarter thanks in part to the second season of Squid Game.

In 2023, Netflix announced a $2.5 billion investment in South Korea to produce Korean TV series, movies and unscripted shows.

Asked about the success of the show and this particular character, Chae put it down to their unorthodox nature.

"How does this cute kid suddenly turn into a killing machine? - I think the creation of the 'Squid Game' world by adopting unpredictable concepts and methods resonated with young people looking for fresh things," she said.

At the end of the second season, viewers also get a glimpse of Chul-su, a male doll set to appear in the next season alongside Young-hee that was originally envisaged for the first series.

"When they said there will be a second season and that Chul-su would appear, I brought back the drawings I had of Chul-su for the first season," Chae said.

"Think of it as a friend, a partner," she said.

The third and final season of Squid Game is set to be released later this year.