RIYADH: The deep green Saudi flag was hoisted all over the Kingdom in a celebration of national identity and pride in the country’s history on Flag Day, which a recent royal decree designated as March 11.
The Diriyah Gate Development Authority offered a memorable three-day program for visitors to At-Turaif, the Kingdom’s most important cultural icon, as part of the festivities in Riyadh.
The program included live musical performances, face painting for children, and traditional dancing shows to commemorate the day.
The authority also showcased a timeline that explained the evolution of the Saudi flag over the past three centuries — including the years of the First and Second Saudi State and the early days of the Kingdom once it was unified by King Abdulaziz — to the development and design of the current flag.
Visitors walking through the gates of Souq Al-Mawsim viewed the lofty green flag in every corner, and were warmly welcomed by locals in traditional attire who distributed flags in celebration.
The souq, which was opened by the authority earlier in March, is located at a park in At-Turaif and is part of the economic revitalization of the historic district.
Visitors enjoyed a wide range of local and traditional food options, including jareesh, balilah, gahwa, fresh fruits and juices, and local products like perfumes, bakhoor, and farwa.
Ghalia Al-Noiem, manager of the project, told Arab News that the ancient souq is more than 300 years old and it is where merchants used to gather to trade in the region.
She added: “Today we are reviving this souq by offering entrepreneurs, family businesses, handicraft artists, and others free kiosks as part of Diriyah Gate’s support for its residents.”
Almoatasim Al-Khamees, the senior engagement and programming officer at the DGDA, told Arab News: “Today we wanted to celebrate this glorious day in the souq, so we invited visitors and the Diriyah community to paint a mural of a Saudi flag as one of the initiatives.
“We have also raised the Saudi flag in collaboration with the Diriyah scouts. To double the festive vibes, we made sure that all visitors received flags to wave.”
In a celebration of Saudi culture and its heritage, performers enacted folkloric scenes to depict how people used to distribute water, roast, grind and prepare Saudi gahwa, and how women would get ready for events by decorating their hands with henna.
Artists also performed three traditional dances for the Flag Day festivities, including the Saudi ardah, samri, and khubaiti.
The Saudi flag symbolizes the Kingdom’s history and is a sign of justice, strength, development, prosperity, and national unity.
It has undergone several changes, starting out as a green flag with a white stripe and the Arabic shahada motto in the center. Two crossed swords were later added. The modern flag was then adopted in plain green with the shahada and a straight sword below it.
Flag Day calls to mind the Kingdom’s greatest achievements, from its founding to the realization of its vision and many established values.
