The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates its National Day on September 23, 2026, commemorating the unification of the country under the leadership of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1932. This year's celebration comes amid a remarkable national journey marked by transformation and achievements across a wide range of sectors, including the economy, tourism, entertainment, media, sports, and technology, alongside the Kingdom's growing presence on the international stage.
This year's celebration carries the theme "Our Pride Lies in Our Nature," reflecting the authentic values of Saudi society, from courage and vision to authenticity, determination, generosity, and hospitality. The theme also expresses a deep sense of pride in the nation, belonging to it, and a strong connection to Saudi identity.
Economic Growth
The Saudi economy has continued to see growth in non-oil activities, which accounted for approximately 55% of GDP in 2025. This performance is underpinned by the expanding scope of development projects across the Kingdom, growing flows of domestic and international investment, and the localization of industries as well as engineering and technology services. Together, these efforts support economic diversification and create new opportunities across emerging sectors.
Major Projects
The Kingdom continues to make significant progress in developing its tourism and entertainment destinations and strengthening its appeal on the global map. Work is advancing across major projects such as NEOM, Qiddiya, The Red Sea, Diriyah, and New Murabba.
These projects are progressing alongside infrastructure development in preparation for major international events, most notably Riyadh Expo 2030, the 2034 FIFA World Cup™, and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.
Artificial Intelligence
In the technology sector, Saudi Arabia is expanding the use of artificial intelligence and accelerating digital transformation across service delivery, urban management, data analysis, and content production. The Smart Operations Center in Riyadh is an example of how advanced technologies are being deployed to manage infrastructure and sophisticated urban services.
At the same time, future-city projects are working to develop more integrated and sustainable digital environments, enhancing the efficiency of everyday services for citizens and residents while supporting the Kingdom's broader digital transformation journey.
Digital Media
The Saudi media sector has undergone a gradual transformation toward an integrated digital ecosystem encompassing modern news websites, social media platforms, visual content, infographics, and AI-powered tools. These technologies are opening up new opportunities for audiences to participate in content creation and document national occasions.
In this context, W7Worldwide Strategic Communications Agency extended its congratulations to the Kingdom's wise leadership and the Saudi people on the occasion of National Day, affirming that the media plays an active role in documenting the Kingdom's journey, showcasing its achievements to the world, and strengthening the presence of its national story across diverse media platforms.
The agency noted that AI tools and digital technologies are providing media organizations with advanced opportunities to develop new approaches to telling the national story and producing interactive content. They also enable organizations to leverage data to better understand audience engagement and deliver messages that are more relevant to target audiences, helping reinforce national identity and support the objectives of Vision 2030.
Entertainment Sector
The entertainment sector recorded significant activity during the first half of 2026, with entertainment events and activities attracting approximately 45.7 million visitors and achieving an overall satisfaction rate of 96%. The Kingdom hosted a diverse range of seasonal events and festivals, including the sixth edition of Riyadh Season, which attracted 17 million visitors and featured concerts by international stars, major sporting competitions, theatrical performances, and family entertainment zones.
Meanwhile, Jeddah Season 2026, held during the summer months, featured musical concerts and a wide range of entertainment activities. The Kingdom will also host the Red Sea International Film Festival, which is scheduled to take place in December in Historic Jeddah.
Sporting Presence
On the sporting front, the Kingdom hosted a range of major international competitions and sporting events, including the Dakar Rally, which featured 812 competitors representing 69 nationalities. Saudi Arabia has also hosted editions of the Esports World Cup in previous years. These events have coincided with the continued development of sports facilities and related infrastructure, further strengthening the Kingdom's role as a host for international sporting competitions.
Environmental Sustainability
In the environmental sector, the Saudi Green Initiative has achieved progress in land rehabilitation and vegetation development, including the rehabilitation of its first one million hectares and the planting of more than 159 million trees since its launch in 2021. These efforts are accompanied by the development of clean energy and green hydrogen projects, as well as the adoption of environmental sustainability standards across cities and new development projects.
National Identity
The Kingdom's National Day celebrations are taking place across the Kingdom through a wide range of cultural and entertainment programs and events, supported by extensive media and digital coverage that revisits key milestones in the country's establishment while highlighting its ongoing transformation and achievements across various sectors.
Media organizations and digital platforms play an important role in bringing celebrations to audiences, documenting events, and highlighting national stories. Young people are also contributing by creating content that reflects Saudi identity while embracing modern communication tools, making the occasion an opportunity to reflect on the Kingdom's journey and the transformations witnessed across its various sectors.