RIYADH: The 87th National Day celebrations in the Kingdom took center stage on Saturday with an atmosphere pervaded by euphoric excitement engendered by the various activities lined up to mark the annual historic event.
“The National Day is a precious occasion in which the sons of this country remember the historical saga that was made by the Kingdom’s founder King Abdul Aziz,” Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad said.
Al-Awwad said that “the noble sons of King Abdul Aziz followed him with a wise vision and a sound approach toward the foundations of a strong civilized state that united under the banner of eternal unification.”
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Sawah congratulated the people, the king and crown prince on the occasion of the 87th National Day.
Al-Sawah also lauded the Kingdom’s wise leadership for the successful march and rapid development being witnessed by Saudi Arabia at all levels.
He also expressed gratitude and appreciation for the Kingdom’s ongoing development and growth under the visionary leadership that paid special attention to the telecommunications and information technology sector in the country.
In keeping with the occasion, the Saudi capital is decked out in green — the color of the national flag — as an indication of patriotic enthusiasm, while the Kingdom is celebrating the National Day with traditional gaiety and patriotic fervor.
The early hours of Sept. 23 witnessed the birth of the first child at the King Saud Medical City on this auspicious day, which was announced by the hospital on its Twitter account.
The hospital held a celebration after the preparation of one medical room with national words, green shawls and clips containing the words “Homeland in our hearts.”
Festivities showed people — both young and old — dancing in the streets or in programs held in various venues such as hotels, auditoriums and convention centers in celebration of the historic event.
Television channels showed programs which featured young Saudi girls deftly and gracefully dancing in their white dresses with belts in green which symbolized the Kingdom’s color.
Many Saudi nationals were also seen driving cars painted in the national color to celebrate the 87th National Day. Boys were seen enthusiastically distributing national flags and sweets to motorists waiting for traffic signals to turn green on the Kingdom’s various roads.
There were also green lights in underpasses and on bridges, as well as banners and posters with congratulatory remarks and photos of the king and crown prince.
With the Saudi people in a celebratory mode, King Fahd and Khurais roads experienced traffic snarls, with cars moving at a snail’s pace on Friday night. Heavy traffic was also expected Saturday night, as in the past, when the citizens of the city go out to drive the Saudi capital’s main thoroughfares in a celebratory mode.
The Saudi nationals’ patriotic zeal and enthusiasm also rubbed off on expatriate workers, who were also excited and joined local counterparts in their celebration.
87th Saudi National Day celebration takes center stage
87th Saudi National Day celebration takes center stage
Saudi House kicks off Davos with push on Vision 2030, AI platform and ‘humanizing’ tourism
- Saudi ministers dominate pre-summit spotlight at Saudi pavilion, touting Vision 2030’s next phase and human capital as key to global edge
- Ministry of Economy and Planning announced the SUSTAIN Platform which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development
DAVOS: For regulars at the World Economic Forum, Monday in Davos is usually a chance to ease into the week, a time to reconnect, plan meetings and prepare for the intense schedule ahead.
This year, Saudi Arabia moved quickly to fill that lull, taking center stage with a packed program of panels ahead of Tuesday’s official opening.
At the Saudi House — the Kingdom’s official pavilion on the Promenade, returning after its debut as a standalone venue at the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting — Saudi ministers and global executives set out how the Kingdom sees the next phase of its transformation.
Established by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the venue is pitched as a platform for international thought leaders to tackle the challenges, opportunities and solutions shaping the global economy.
Opening a session on the Kingdom’s role at this year’s Forum and the next phase of Vision 2030 — now in its 10th year and roughly two-thirds complete — Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, said human capital “is the actual driver if you want a competitive, modern economy.”
She described one of the biggest achievements of the past decade as the emergence of a highly qualified cohort of young Saudis who could work anywhere in the world but “choose to come home, choose to build at home and choose to deliver at home,” calling this “the biggest symbol of the success of Vision 2030.”
Who can give you optimum access to opportunities while addressing risks? I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula.
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment
On the same panel, Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan said this success is rooted in a “behavioral change” that has strengthened the Kingdom’s credibility with both international partners and its own citizens.
“Credibility comes from being very pragmatic, making sure that you maintain your fiscal policy discipline, but at the same time refocus your resources where it matters,” he said, warning that “markets will call your bluff if you’re not serious.”
The Saudi House, a cross-ministerial initiative led by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, is intended to underscore the Kingdom’s “commitment to global cooperation” by offering “a platform where visionary ideas are shared and shaped,” while showcasing opportunities and lessons from its “unprecedented national transformation.”
Echoing earlier comments to Arab News, Economy and Planning Minister Faisal Alibrahim said the Kingdom’s role as an anchor of stability has helped unlock its potential, stressing that while the objective is to decouple from reliance on a single commodity, “2030 is not the finishing line.”
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment, said Saudi Arabia has been able to enable access to opportunities while addressing major risks, arguing that few countries can match the Kingdom’s overall mix.
“No country has all of those to 100 percent,” he said. “But who can give you the mix that gives you optimum access to opportunities while addressing all of those risks?
“I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula and the proof is in the pudding,” noting that local investment has doubled in recent years to reach levels comparable with India and China.
While societal transformation dominated the morning discussions, the afternoon turned to technology, tourism, sport and culture, four strategic sectors expected to spearhead Vision 2030’s next phase.
The Ministry of Economy and Planning used the day to announce the SUSTAIN Platform, due to launch in 2026, which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development.
The ministry said SUSTAIN will translate the Kingdom’s public and private-sector coordination mandate into a practical national tool to help government entities, businesses, investors, academia and civil society identify credible partners, form trusted coalitions and move initiatives “from planning to implementation more efficiently,” addressing a global challenge where fragmented partnerships often slow delivery and blunt impact.
“We are in a moment in time where technology may well impact the face of humanity,” said Dina Powell McCormick, recently appointed president and vice chairman of Meta, welcoming the Kingdom’s “desire” to partner with technology companies and its embrace of innovation.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Alkhateeb, discussing how technology is being deployed in his sector, underlined that “in travel and tourism, people are very important. We learn about other people’s culture through interacting with people. We digitalize the unnecessary and humanize the necessary.”
He added that while technological transformation is a priority, “we don’t want to replace this big workforce with technology. I think we need to protect them in Saudi Arabia, where we’re being a model. I’m an advocate of keeping the people.”
Throughout the week, Saudi House will host more than 20 sessions, including over 10 accredited by the WEF, across six themes: Bold Vision, Insights for Impact, People and Human Capability, Quality of Life, Investment and Collaboration, and Welcoming the World.
The pavilion will also launch “NextOn,” a new series of influential and educational talks featuring leading global voices.
