His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, extended his warmest congratulations and blessings to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect them, and to all the Saudi people, on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding day.
In a press statement on this momentous occasion, His Highness affirmed that Founding Day represents a national occasion to celebrate the deep-rooted foundations of the Saudi state. He said, “Founding Day embodies the profound depth of our nation’s history, dating back to the era of Imam Muhammad bin Saud – may God have mercy on him – and the pillars of unity and stability established during that period. For three centuries, this nation has continued its journey of development and empowerment.”.
The Saudi state has deep historical roots
Saudis celebrate their National Day on February 22nd each year, a day that symbolizes the Kingdom's deep historical and cultural roots. This date dates back to 1727 CE, when Imam Muhammad bin Saud assumed power in Diriyah, establishing the First Saudi State. This historic moment marked the beginning of a political entity that brought unity and stability to the Arabian Peninsula after centuries of fragmentation, making Diriyah the capital of the state and a center of learning, culture, and trade.
A journey of building towards a bright future
Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal added: “This nation continued its journey of building and empowerment, until the era of the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman - may God have mercy on him - who formed a pivotal turning point in building the firmly established modern state, and after him his sons the kings - may God have mercy on them - until our prosperous era, under the leadership of my master the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince - may God protect them - in which the Kingdom reached leadership by achieving accomplishments, according to a comprehensive vision in various fields.”.
Saudi sports are at the heart of Vision 2030
His Highness the Minister of Sport pointed out that the sports sector, like other sectors of the state, continues its steady progress towards the comprehensive development and growth that the Kingdom is experiencing. He added, “With determination and perseverance, the various sectors of the state, including the sports sector, continue their steady progress on the path of comprehensive development and growth that the Kingdom is experiencing, thanks to the great support and attention we receive from our wise leadership – may God protect them.”.
He explained that this support is embodied in our distinguished present, through achieving many figures, including the Kingdom hosting more than 150 global and continental events and championships since 2018 AD until now, in which the number of attendees at these events reached more than 3.5 million visitors, in addition to achieving the sports sector targeted in Saudi Vision 2030 by reaching the percentage of practicing sports in the local community to 59.1%.
His Highness concluded his speech with a prayer, saying: “I ask God Almighty to protect the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Crown Prince, and to grant them His help and guidance, and to perpetuate the security, stability and prosperity of our great nation.”.
