The Museums Commission has announced a special program of celebrations marking Saudi National Day across its museums, with the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, the Red Sea Museum and Tarek Abdulhakim Museum in Jeddah hosting dedicated events starting Wednesday.
The programs invite families and visitors of all ages to celebrate the national occasion through the stories, traditions and cultural expressions held within the Kingdom’s museums.
Inspired by this year’s Saudi National Day identity, “Our Pride in Our Nature,” the celebrations reflect the commission’s vision of museums as living national spaces, places where the Kingdom’s past is not only displayed, but experienced, shared and carried forward.
Each museum has developed a program rooted in its own identity: the National Museum guides visitors through the story of the Kingdom’s unification and the making of its national identity, the Red Sea Museum celebrates the occasion through the lens of Jeddah and the Red Sea, and Tarek Abdulhakim Museum brings the celebration to life through music, learning and creative family experiences.
From September 23 to 26, the National Museum will present an interactive journey that takes visitors through a series of stations across the museum, each revealing a different part of the story that shaped the Kingdom’s identity.
The journey opens with a shadow-theater performance telling the story of King Abdulaziz’s vision and the unification of the Kingdom, before leading visitors through stations dedicated to national figures who left their mark on the Kingdom’s history, the diversity of its regions, and the symbols, customs, and traditions passed down through generations.
Throughout the celebration, the museum lobby will feature live folk-art performances from across the Kingdom’s regions, presented in collaboration with the Theater and Performing Arts Commission.
Families can also enjoy interactive games and creative activities, alongside a new sensory discovery wall designed especially for the museum’s youngest visitors and a dedicated recording station where visitors can share their own messages about the Kingdom and its future.
On Wednesday, the Red Sea Museum, housed in the historic Bab Al-Bunt building in Jeddah, will host a full day of celebrations from morning until night. Families and children will be welcomed with all-day activities including national-themed face painting, creative coloring sessions and guided tours exploring the museum’s building, collections and stories connected to the Kingdom.
Coinciding with the International Day of Sign Languages, the museum will present “A Nation’s Story,” an inclusive storytelling experience delivered with Saudi Sign Language interpretation and open to Deaf children and people with disabilities, inviting children to reflect on the meaning of homeland, belonging and national identity.
The celebration will also mark the launch of Minaa Encounters, a new recurring platform supporting emerging Saudi photographers, artists and creative talent. Its first edition, “Between Sea and Stone,” invites visitors to rediscover Jeddah and its port through the work of emerging Saudi photographers, who will be present to discuss their work with the public from September 23 to 25. The showcase will remain on display until September 30.
Also from September 23 to 25, Tarek Abdulhakim Museum will celebrate Saudi National Day through a series of musical workshops and interactive experiences for children and families.
Held daily from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the program invites visitors to explore the Kingdom’s rich musical traditions through hands-on activities.
Designed to encourage participation and discovery, the workshops offer visitors of all ages an opportunity to engage with music as an important part of Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage.
