Dubai: Dubai will celebrate Saudi Arabia’s 88th National Day on September 23 with a line-up of events and activities around the city.
The celebrations, which will begin by welcoming visitors from Saudi Arabia with sweets, flowers and coffee upon arrival at the Dubai International Airport, reflect the strong relations between the people of both countries.
The events will include a concert by regional stars and a fireworks show at La Mer.
Amusement parks, hotels, malls, and landmarks will also hold special activities and promotions. Dubai residents can expect to see one of the city’s most famous landmarks, Burj Khalifa, illuminated in the national flag of Saudi Arabia, in a display of friendship and respect between the two nations.
Travelling between Dubai and Saudi Arabia is made even easier with the launch of Emirates’ fourth daily flight from Riyadh, taking the number of the carrier’s weekly flights serving the Saudi capital to 91. Considering Dubai a second home, around 85 per cent of Saudi travellers consider Dubai as a preferred destination, while 46 per cent of Saudi visitors were repeat visitors in 2017.
This year, many Saudis are set to celebrate their National Day in the emirate by visiting some of the city’s most popular attractions.
The full details of this year’s jam-packed calendar of events for KSA National Day can be found at www.dubaicalendar.com or on Twitter @Dubai_Calendar, using hashtag #KSANationalDay for the latest information.
Line-up of events for National Day of Saudi Arabia in Dubai
■ Concerts: On September 22 at City Walk, Saudi singer Dalia Mubarak and Emirati star Shamma Hamdan will perform some of their most popular hits. The concert will start at 6.45pm.
■ Fireworks: On September 23, La Mer will celebrate with a host of activities, including a spectacular Saudi National Day-themed fireworks show at 8.30pm. Traditional Saudi folk dances and a display of supercars will also take place at this location from September 20 to 23.
■ Events: On September 21 to 23, Saudi Arabian folk dancers will also perform at malls across the city, including The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dragon Mall, City Centre Mirdif, Dubai Festival City Mall, and Al Seef.
■ Dubai Fountain: On September 23, the Dubai Fountain will ‘dance’ to songs by popular Saudi artists from September 12 to 22, with a special display in tribute to the Saudi national anthem.
■ Dubai Mall: On September 20-23, Dubai Mall will roll out the red carpet, offering visitors the opportunity to watch performances by a traditional band at the Souk Atrium, ground floor, and also enjoy Arabic coffee. There will also be giveaways to visitors including a booklet of vouchers, scarf and mementos.
■ Dubai Festival City Mall: On September 20-23, Dubai Festival City Mall will host a Saudi National Day show at Festival Bay and an exclusive edition of IMAGINE, its record-breaking laser and light show.
■ The Beach: On September 22, The Beach will host a grand parade at 6pm with horses marching along to Saudi national melodies. On September 20-23, the destination will screen a selection of award-winning short films by Saudi directors at Roxy Cinemas daily, at 7pm and 8.30pm as part of the Saudi Cinema Weekend.
■ Dubai International Airport celebrations: On September 20, the airport will accord a water salute to aircraft arriving from Saudi Arabia while flowers, Arabic sweets and coffee will be offered to Saudi visitors arriving in Dubai. Saudi national songs will also be played in the arrivals section of Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
