Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that the kingdom will commemorate February 22 every year as the nation’s Founding Day, according to a Royal Order issued this week.
The decree issued by King Salman said that the move commemorates the history of the state running back hundreds of years and is separate from Saudi National Day, which is marked on September 22.
The statement said: “Taking into account that the middle of the year 1139H, corresponding to the month of February of 1727 that signals the commencement of the reign of Imam Mohammed bin Saud, who founded the first Saudi state, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, decreed that February 22 of every year is designated to mark the commemoration of the founding of the Saudi state under the name ‘Founding Day’, and will be an official holiday.”
