SAUDI ARABIA: Saudis turn out in Riyadh to celebrate the country's National Day, marking the unification of the kingdom in 1932

Record ID: 189238

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Saudis turn out in Riyadh to celebrate the country's National Day, marking the unification of the kingdom in 1932
  • Date: 24th September 2013
  • Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SAUDI CHILDREN WEARING GREEN AND WHITE MASKS LOOKING THROUGH CAR SUN ROOFS CELEBRATING NATIONAL DAY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic), A BOY CALLED FALAH, SAYING: "First thing is I am happy and I am celebrating the National Day." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MUT'EB AL SHALI, SAYING: "[The Celebrations] are a response to those who seek harm to our country, we are with our country and our nation and our religion and we sacrifice for our leaders." CARS WITH FLAGS CELEBRATING VARIOUS OF A MEMBER OF THE ISLAMIC ADVOCACY AND GUIDANCE DISTRIBUTING ISLAMIC MORALS CD`S TO PASSING MOTORISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMAD AL ABDULBAQI, MEMBER OF THE ISLAMIC ADVOCACY AND GUIDANCE, SAYING: "We came here today to advise the young people and also to attend and perform the Maghrib and Isha prayers; and also to distribute CD's that contain several topics such as the importance of prayer, the dangers of drugs, smoking, and songs." CHILDREN WITH SAUDI FLAGS IN A CAR THREE SAUDI MEN DRESSED WITH LETTERS READING IN ENGLISH "(KSA) REPRESENTING THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED SAUDI GIRL, SAYING: "We came to celebrate the National Day, the establishment of Saudi Arabia and for our father Abdallah [The King]." SAUDI MEN IN A CAR WAVING FLAGS STREET WITH SECURITY PATROLS SECURITY PATROL WITH ARABIC READING ON WINDOW (HAPPY NATIONAL DAY) TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICERS OBSERVING TRAFFIC LOGO OF THE MORAL POLICE ON PATROL MORAL POLICE PATROL OBSERVING THE CELEBRATIONS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FAHAD AL KULAIB, SAUDI HISTORIAN, SAYING: "We are on a historic National Saudi Day, we must call on God for our brothers in Egypt and Syria and everywhere, that God blesses them with the grace of safety and that they become united in the book of God (The Holy Quran ) and the Sunnah of his messenger the Prophet Mohammad." TWO GIRLS DANCING OVER CAR FIREWORKS OVER RIYADH
  • Embargoed: 9th October 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5MB31T6MKE0FEQG7KK47E9UJB
  • Story Text: Saudis celebrated the country's 83rd National Day on Monday (September 23) with music and fireworks. The streets and buildings of the capital Riyadh were festooned with Saudi flags and the portraits of the King and Crown Prince as well as the kingdom's founding monarch Abdul-Aziz Al Saudi.
    Thousands of people clogged the roads with their cars, tooting horns and waving flags. Excited children, many wearing green and white masks, some sporting curly green and white wigs, leaned out of car sun roofs watching the spectacle.
    10-year-old Falah told Reuters Television that this was his first time taking part in National Day.
    "First thing is I am happy and I am celebrating the National Day," he said.
    Saudi authorities are taking greater liberty in celebrating the modern monarchy's anniversary, a sign of their growing clout against clerics who have criticised holidays outside the Islamic calendar.
    Riyadh resident, Mut'eb al-Shali, said the celebrations were an important expression of patriotism.
    "[The Celebrations] are a response to those who seek harm to our country, we are with our country and our nation and our religion and we sacrifice for our leaders," he said.
    Present ruler King Abdullah, emphasised his push to reform the deeply conservative country upon taking power in 2005 by decreeing September 23 as an official holiday marking the kingdom's unification led by founder King Abdul-Aziz and an army of ultra-conservative followers.
    Since then, celebrations have become more colourful to attract larger masses and the labour ministry took the extra step of granting a paid-day off for all public and private sector employees to mark unification.
    Many clerics view National Day as an opportunity to remind young Saudis of Islamic ethics and the dangers of modern life. Members of the Islamic Advocacy and Guidance distributed CDs to passing motorists, among them Mohammad Al Abdulbaqi.
    "We came here today to advise the young people and also to attend and perform the Maghrib and Isha prayers; and also to distribute CD's that contain several topics such as the importance of prayer, the dangers of drugs, smoking, and songs," he said.
    Security was tight throughout the kingdom with moral police patrols also keeping a watchful eye over the celebrations.
    Saudi historian, Fahad al-Kulaib said events across the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring and especially the civil war in Syria and political upheaval in Egypt made this year's celebrations significant.
    "We are on a historic National Saudi Day, we must call on God for our brothers in Egypt and Syria and everywhere, that God blesses them with the grace of safety and that they become united on the book of God (The Holy Quran ) and the Sunnah of his messenger the Prophet Mohammad," he said.
    As night fell over Saudi Arabia, National Day drew to a close with a spectacular firework display over Riyadh.
    hl/jrc
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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