Saudi Arabia Celebrates 89th National Day

Saudi Arabia is celebrating today, Monday the Kingdom's 89th National Day, annually marked on September 23.

The national day – which became a public holiday in 2007 – commemorates the renaming of the country from the "Kingdom of Nejd Hejaz" to the "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" by Saudi Arabia King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, on Sept. 23, 1932.

The country is covered with the green Saudi national flag, which lines the capital’s main highways to celebrate Saudi National Day.

Twitter is blowing up with the hashtags اليوم_الوطني_السعودي_89# and #SaudiNationalDay, expressing their excitement for the celebrations and love for the kingdom.

Several world leaders including Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, on the occasion.

The day is celebrated with folklore dances, songs, and traditional festivals.

The roads and buildings are decorated with Saudi flags and people wear green shirts.

"The celebration is an opportunity to learn the heritage, customs, and traditions of the House of Saud. The celebrations also aim to introduce the heritage of Saudi-ruled Arabia, appreciate the beauty of the country and the ruling family, and promote pride in the family of Saud, " according to the Saudi Arabian government.

It is also an opportunity to learn about the work of King Abdulaziz, who changed the name of Arabia to his family name, and what he did to establish his family dominance over Arabia.

Due to this, some celebrations are held in his memory.

Google joined the celebration on Monday, with an animated doodle of the Kingdom’s distinctive green flag, which is seen only by Google users in Saudi Arabia are able to see it.

Moreover, Egyptian singer-actress, Sherine Abdel-Wahab, and Saudi singers Rabeh Sager and Waad are set to perform live in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.