IN PICTURES: Saudi Arabia celebrates 89th National Day with fireworks, air shows

People across Saudi Arabia celebrated on Monday the Kingdom’s 89th National Day with over 70 entertainment events, including fireworks, air shows, and special performances.

Two million people were expected to attend the Kingdom-wide events, organized by the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) for the five-day National Day Season. National Day commemorates the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on September 23, 1932, by the country's founder, King Abdulaziz bin Saud.

In the capital Riyadh, citizens, residents, and tourists were treated to air shows in the day and fireworks in the evening.

In Jeddah, similar festivities were taking place. One performance included an air show by the Saudi Hawks aerobatic squadron, the main demonstration team of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).

In the south, people were treated to a grand day of festivities in the city of Asir, including an air show featuring 12 military aircraft and three helicopters with the participation of 27 Saudi pilots. The Saudi Arabian military also staged a military parade involving more than 2,000 personnel from the infantry and special units from the army and air force.

Saudi National Day celebrations in Asir

In the eastern city of Dammam, the world’s most popular circus show “Cirque du Soleil” is presenting a five-day show at the Dhahran Expo specifically designed for Saudi National Day. The one-hour show includes 12 acts by 40 performance artists.

Saudi National Day celebrations in al-Baha

People in the northwestern city of Tabuk held similar celebrations. Locals had the chance to carve their names and special messages on a stone cut from the Tuwaiq Mountain.

The mountain, near Riyadh in central Saudi Arabia, received attention last year when Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman referred to it during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. “The strength of Saudis is like that of the Tuwaiq Mountain, unbreakable unless this mountain is leveled and equaled to the ground,” he said at the time.