Saudi Arabia to celebrate Feb 22 as 'Founding Day'

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia issued a royal decree to celebrate February 22 as Founding Day, the day which the first state in the Kingdom was formed in 1727 by Imam Mohammed ibn Saud, Arab News reported. On Thursday, King Salman issued the order for the new national holiday, which will be held from this year.

The Saudi royal family's ancestors settled near Wadi Hanifah and founded the Diriyah city in 1446. In 1727, Imam Mohammed upgraded the city-state to a nation-state unifying the Arabian Peninsula. In 1937, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formed under the rule of King Abdulaziz.

Dr Badran Al-Honaihen of historical research and studies in the Diriyah Gate Development Authority narrated the history of Diriyah since 1446. The Marada clan came inland from the Gulf Coast in the year. They settled in Wadi Hanifah.

The Marada clan put the initial stones in building the greatest territory in Arabian Peninsula after the Prophet's state and Caliphate of Rashidun, he said. The house of Saud was founded by Saud ibn Mohammed in 1720, and later the first state of Saudi came into being in 1727 during Saud's son (Imam) Mohammed's rule. Amid internal feud Diriyah and spreading plague that claimed many lives in Najd, Imam Mohammed unified Diriyah, building a stable territory, Badran said.

In 2010, Diriyah's At-Taurif district, where the Kingdom was born, was named in UNESCO's World Heritage List as a place of outstanding universal value. Since 2017 the Saudi administration has been working on Diriyah, developing it into a heritage destination.

The Kingdom's Founding Day is not a replacement for Saudi National Day held on September 23, which commemorates the unification of the Kingdom in 1932. Meanwhile, February 22 recognises the Saudi state's history.