A green celebration: Riyadh ushers in Saudi National Day in style

A green celebration: Riyadh ushers in Saudi National Day in style
1 / 3
Activities at Riyadh’s National Museum have included performances by folk bands, an Arab falcons show, interactive workshops to teach children about Saudi heritage and culture. (AN photo by Basheer Saleh)
A green celebration: Riyadh ushers in Saudi National Day in style
2 / 3
A festival on Turki Al-Awal St. includes folkloric dance, live music, an air show and fireworks. (AN photo by Basheer Saleh)
A green celebration: Riyadh ushers in Saudi National Day in style
3 / 3
A festival on Turki Al-Awal St. includes folkloric dance, live music, an air show and fireworks. (AN photo by Basheer Saleh)
Updated 23 September 2019
Follow

A green celebration: Riyadh ushers in Saudi National Day in style

A green celebration: Riyadh ushers in Saudi National Day in style
  • Green is the theme color of all the events

RIYADH: The streets of Riyadh are covered with the green of the Saudi national flag, which lines the capital’s main highways.

Green is the theme color of all the events that have taken place in Riyadh from Sept. 19-23 to celebrate Saudi National Day.

Activities at Riyadh’s National Museum have included performances by folk bands, an Arab falcons show, interactive workshops to teach children about Saudi heritage and culture, displays of classic cars, film screenings, food carts, raffles and prizes. Visitors also have the opportunity to donate blood for King Fahd Medical City.

Exhibition

There is also an exhibition at Panorama Mall, where 13 archaeological pieces from the pre-Islamic history of the Arabian Peninsula are on display. Volunteers are at hand to explain the significance of these pieces.

HIGHLIGHT

Green is the theme color of all the events that have taken place in Riyadh from Sept. 19-23 to celebrate Saudi National Day.

A festival on Turki Al-Awal St. includes folkloric dance, live music, an air show and fireworks. The Defense Ministry revealed special designs for the aircraft taking part in the air show.

Artwork

Festivalgoers also have the opportunity to make their own artwork using rocks from the Tuwaiq Mountains.

A show titled “From the 60s until this moment” features Saudi songs from the 1960s to the present day, at the Princess Nourah bint Abdul Rahman University Theater.

Only a couple of years ago it would have been rare to see women celebrating. But what was once taboo is now the norm, with women driving with their friends and families to the festivities.