Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — When King Abdulaziz issued Royal Order No. 2716 on Sept. 23, 1932, proclaiming the unification of the nation under the name “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the decree was more than an administrative act. It was the birth of a new state, a unifying moment that inspired celebrations across towns, villages, and tribes.
The first National Days carried the raw emotions of unity, pride, and loyalty, as Saudis came together to mark the beginning of a shared national identity.
In the days following the decree, telegrams poured into Riyadh from across the Kingdom.
Governors, notables, and citizens sent messages expressing their joy and pledging loyalty to the new name and its leader.
The official gazette Um Al-Qura recorded these telegrams, reflecting how the decree resonated not only in political circles but also in the hearts of people who had long hoped for a symbol of their unity.
In the capital, Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz described in a message to his brother Prince Faisal the scenes that unfolded. A grand gathering was held, with princes, tribal leaders, and townspeople assembled to mark the proclamation.
Poetry was recited in praise of the unification, and speeches declared the moment a turning point in the nation’s history.
The celebration was not confined to official halls but spread to the streets, where citizens expressed their joy in collective pride.
Reports from towns across Najd, Hejaz, the Eastern Province, and the northern frontiers told of similar gatherings.
Villages organized their own celebrations, with folk traditions, sword dances, and public feasts.
The decree’s announcement reached even the most remote corners of the Kingdom, binding distant communities into the same narrative of unity.
In Um Al-Qura, descriptions of the atmosphere emphasized how people saw the decree not simply as a political development but as a rebirth of their homeland under one banner. The paper called the celebrations “immense, beyond what words can describe.”
As with many milestones in Arabian history, poetry became a vessel of memory.
Poets composed verses praising King Abdulaziz and the new state, capturing the emotions of a people who had moved from division to unity.
These lines, recited at gatherings and published in newspapers, immortalized the decree in words that reached far beyond the events of the day.
The early National Days were declarations of belonging. For Saudis who had lived through years of division, conflict, and hardship, the decree symbolized stability and a future of shared purpose.
The celebrations reflected a society eager to embrace its new name, its new identity, and its new path under the leadership of King Abdulaziz.
Nearly a century later, the spirit of those first National Days endures. Each Sept. 23, Saudis remember that their nation was not only founded by decree but celebrated by the people whose loyalty and joy brought the unification to life.
