Saudi National Day is an annual event held on September 23rd of each year to celebrate the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 by the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud—may he rest in peace. In that year, a royal decree was issued to unify all parts of the modern kingdom under the name "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." King Abdulaziz chose the 21st of Jumada al-Awwal of the same year, which corresponds to September 23rd, to announce the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This day is a time to showcase national values and celebrate this great achievement.
Saudi National Day is marked by a variety of events and activities across the country. It is an important and distinctive occasion that receives widespread participation from citizens and residents. This event contributes to revitalizing national spirit and fostering a sense of belonging to the nation. Additionally, it promotes the values of solidarity and brotherhood among members of society. Saudi National Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the Saudi culture and heritage, as a group of various entertainment and cultural events are held and attended by the different groups in society. This helps promote unity and love between leaders and civilians.
In recent years, Saudi National Day has also become an opportunity to highlight social values. Both the government and the private sector work together to organize activities that focus on topics that resonate with society, such as education, raising social awareness about Saudi culture, and empowering and preparing ambitious youth to support the country's economy. These activities and events have helped raise awareness of such important social issues. For example, in 2022, the Ministry of Education, in coordination with the Kingdom’s provinces, celebrated this day with the participation of more than 7 million students.
The celebration emphasized the following themes:
These valuable themes, along with others, aim at leaving an impact and empowering a new generation of dreamers so they can grow in this ambitious country, go after their personal dreams, and contribute to the execution of the Saudi Vision 2030 targets. Furthermore, these events indirectly encourage students to be creative and innovative in presenting their national works and contributions, thus increasing positive competition among innovators to produce the best and most distinguished works.
The Impact of National Day on Society and Its Economic Benefits:
In 2005, an exceptional holiday was declared in Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the 75th National Day. This decision, made during the reign of the late King Fahd, granted the country a 3-day holiday, during which all work activities in both the public and private sectors came to a halt. This was done to celebrate National Day, marking the first official holiday in the country's history in celebration of National Day.
The positive impact of Saudi National Day on society can be seen in various forms. For example, the hashtag "#اليوم_الوطني_السعودي" (Saudi National Day) got over 3 billion views on TikTok, which is one of the fastest-growing platforms in the Kingdom and worldwide. This reflects the influence of this day in promoting national culture and social values, which can positively affect the nation's economy. Additionally, this high visibility on social media platforms indirectly contributes to increasing tourism in the Kingdom. According to a report from Argaam, the total number of tourist visits to the Kingdom exceeded 70 million in 2022, with total expenses exceeding 130 billion Saudi Riyals.
Support and empowerment are not limited to individuals alone; part of this also goes to companies and institutions that wish to make an impact and participate in National Day events by obtaining the necessary support. The General Entertainment Authority has licensed more than 4,500 establishments to carry out entertainment activities and support them in more than 100 cities across the Kingdom, illustrating the level of investment made on this day.
The identity of National Day for the year 2022 was created under the slogan "هي لنا دار" (This Is Our Home), inspired by the massive projects that the Kingdom has undertaken as part of its ambitious Vision 2030. These projects are supported and led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and they showcase Vision 2030's projects such as the Red Sea Project, NEOM, The Line, Amaala, and Trojena, among others. These massive projects are hosted by the Kingdom, aiming to meet the aspirations of beneficiaries and make a difference on a global scale.
Objectives of National Day:
To achieve the desired benefits of this day, the Kingdom established the General Entertainment Authority in 2016. This authority is responsible for organizing celebrations and international days hosted by the Kingdom. Part of its role is to organize events on National Day so that everyone has the opportunity to participate and enjoy the wonderful national atmosphere. The authority has set an effective strategy to communicate with the public, including several points such as:
1. Understanding the Audience
Understanding the audience helps determine the language and tone used by the organization to communicate with its target audience. It is an effective way to convey your message clearly and simply. In this regard, the General Entertainment Authority communicates with the audience in a friendly and youthful language, using expressive visuals that resonate with their daily conversations.
2. Identifying Channels
Knowing your audience well helps in identifying the channels they use daily. This contributes to creating a continuous communication loop with the audience to reinforce your message in their minds. The General Entertainment Authority is present on social media channels and communicates in the same tone preferred by the audience.
3. Enhancing User Experience
The Authority has contributed to organizing events in a more professional manner. It works on improving the user experience through a clear deployment plan containing valuable information that benefits and assists consumers. This includes a schedule of the specific dates and times of the National Day events and celebrations in various cities of the Kingdom.
4. Improving Sales Channels
The impact of the Entertainment Authority extends beyond organization; it also aided in improving and meeting customer expectations. It has worked on enhancing sales channels by making them digital and mobile-friendly, allowing everyone to purchase tickets and attend events without the need to stand in long ticket queues.
5. Developing Content and Message
The Authority has significantly contributed to developing content with a clear impact. It has employed diverse digital media, including images, short videos, enriching workshops, and other means that enrich the content artistically and creatively and reflect the organization's identity beautifully.
6. Performance Indicators and Reports
The efforts of the Authority continue even after content creation and delivery to the target audience. It measures the impact of this content on revenues and activities held in each city, as well as the number of residents' visits to forums and events organized by the Authority in collaboration with the public and private sectors to achieve national objectives and improve the quality of life.
How Does National Day and Its Associated Events Contribute to Improving the Quality of Life?
The Quality of Life Program was launched in 2018 and is one of the projects of Saudi Vision 2030. It is an important initiative aimed at improving the quality of life for citizens and residents in the Kingdom. This program includes a set of goals that involve the development of culture and entertainment and the promotion of innovation in various fields.
There are ten main objectives that the program aims to achieve:
National Day is considered an important occasion for raising awareness about the Kingdom's heritage and culture, as well as its rich decades-long history. Ever since its foundation in 1727, it has been undergoing continuous and growing development. This reflects the efforts of leaders in improving the quality of life in this ambitious nation over the years.
This occasion also provides an opportunity to recall the national achievements and awards earned by the citizens of this country, which evoke pride and honor. With the continuation of the programs and events organized by the government entities, the private sector, and the third sector, these objectives will be achieved through the collaboration between everyone. National Day is not just a celebration; it's an opportunity to get closer to our dreams.
