Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Diriyah, Jewel of the Kingdom: Saudi pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai celebrates founding of first Saudi state in Diriyah

Diriyah, Jewel of the Kingdom: Saudi pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai celebrates founding of first Saudi state in Diriyah

Celebrations were held at the Saudi pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai on Feb. 22 to mark the Kingdom’s first Founding Day, which commemorated the establishment of the first Saudi state in 1727 at its capital of Diriyah.
Saudi performers, musicians and dancers showcased a range of cultural presentations to demonstrate the Kingdom’s rich and diverse heritage. The program included the Ardeh, and the projection of a video onto the facade of the pavilion Nuzul’s video highlighted aspects of culture that were perpetuated in Diriyah during the 18th century. Mudbrick building, date preservation, traditional medicine, historical schooling and the crafting of the first Saudi flag featured in the footage.

Tour guides sent from Diriyah, also known as the Jewel of the Kingdom, engaged in cultural activities, educating people around the world about the founding of the country.

The Diriyah Gate Development Authority, responsible for Diriyah’s historic legacy, contributed to the troupe of tour guides at the Saudi pavilion.

Three guides, Manal Hathrah, Rahaf Al-Harbi and Maha Al-Fagir, each imparted their knowledge and understanding of the first Saudi state’s founding to the diverse international audience.

The trio highlighted that Diriyah has stood as a definitive starting point for the Saudi state, being a political, cultural and social capital, and a cradle of the civilization led by the early imams of the Al-Saud family.

DGDA is working to preserve Diriyah and its historical heritage. These efforts also aim to transform Diriyah into a leading global destination, alongside DGDA’s other development projects that work to preserve and modernize many historic sites, elevate its people’s quality of life and fulfill the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.

Founding Day complements the Saudi National Day, which celebrates the unification of Saudi Arabia in 1932 every Sept. 23, by recognizing the beginning of the Saudi state with a new event that commemorates the Kingdom’s historical roots.

The Saudi pavilion has so far welcomed more than 3 million visitors from all corners of the globe and will be at the expo until the event closes at the end of March.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
×