The 92nd Saudi National Day, which falls on Friday September 23, is the first to be celebrated following the official decree establishing the “Foundation Day” in the Kingdom.
On January 27, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, issued a royal order declaring February 22 of each year as the anniversary of the founding of the Saudi state, in the name of 'Foundation Day', and adopting it as an official holiday.
The holiday was created in 2022 to commemorate the foundation of the first Saudi state named Diriyah, by Imam Mohammad Bin Saud on February 22, 1727.
Different from Foundation Day, the Saudi National Day marks the date of the unification of the Kingdom at the hands of King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, which took place on September 23, 1932.
At that time, King Abdulaziz, the founder of the third Saudi state, issued from his palace in Riyadh a royal order of seven articles to rename the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
King Abdulaziz’s move paved the way for the modern Saudi state taking its place on the international map and becoming the global and regional heavyweight it is today under the rule of its seventh monarch, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
With the advent of the Saudi National Day, Saudis are recalling history spanning over nine decades. This history has seen the Kingdom pass through stages of transformation and development under the reigns of King Saud, King Faisal, King Khalid, King Fahd, and King Abdallah.
These different phases of growth have led up to the stage of “modernization” and building the state of the future under the rule of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Despite modern-day challenges, Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been able to prove itself as an influential state in international affairs.
Besides building the state of the future, the Kingdom is keen on maintaining balance in its policies, promoting justice, and placing modernity at the heart of its development journey.
Moreover, the Saudi leadership has launched various projects that would broaden horizons of development for the Kingdom.
King Salman, since assuming the reins of power in his country as the seventh king of the modern Saudi state, drew the features of his reign with remarkable decisions and orders that lay the map of crossing into the future while preserving previous gains made by his predecessors.
