Saudi Day Celebrated at Expo with Spectacular Opening Ceremony, Airshow, Cultural Events, and Fireworks

Saudi Day, we are proud to share with the world our culture, our renaissance and our vision, towards a common global future, in which we see ourselves with you, and with all those who aspire to build a better future for humanity.”

“Through the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which was blessed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and formulated by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extends its hands to the world and opens its heart to humanity. It welcomes everyone and invites them to visit and discover its rich civilization, culture and humanity, as well as its numerous attractive investment opportunities.”

Expo visitors were dazzled by a stunning aerial show that took over the skies above Expo 2020 Dubai. The blue skies turned beautiful streaks of green as the Saudi Hawks, a special unit of the Royal Saudi Air Force, put on an unforgettable show, delicately painting the site in the colors of the Kingdom’s flag and leaving spectators awe-struck.

Fashion models in unique designs graced the runway at Al Forsan Park, from traditional outfits reimagined for the future, to everyday items inspired by the Kingdom’s rich heritage as a new, dynamic generation of Saudi creatives proudly shared their work with Expo visitors. The show featured collections by Saudi designers ‘Reem Al Kanhal’, ‘KafbyKaf’, ‘R9designs’ and ‘1886’.

Business opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the status of its giga projects were showcased during the ‘Saudi Business Briefing’. The event, held at the Business Connect Center, near Expo’s Al Wasl Dome, included a special presentation by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment, which highlighted the Saudi business ecosystem and exciting investment opportunities, under Vision 2030.

Launched in 2016, the ambitious Vision 2030 master plan seeks to diversify the Kingdom’s economy beyond oil through attracting foreign direct investment.

Saudi Day activities included a variety of cultural, music and craft shows suitable for the whole family, held at Saudi Park. Highlights included an immersive 360° photographic experience recreating some of the Kingdom’s main tourist attractions, as well as workshops in traditional Sadu weaving and creating floral crowns inspired by the distinctive tradition of the ‘Flower Men of Asir’ of crowning their heads with beautiful arrangements of herbs, flowers and grasses.

The Saudi Pavilion, one of Expo’s most distinctive structures, hosted a series of colorful performances, including appearances by a military band. Visitors enjoyed watching the ‘Saudi Cultural Parade’, led by 80 military band members featuring trumpets and drums, and a procession of horses that celebrated the unique role these majestic animals continue to play in Saudi culture.

The Saudi Day musical extravaganza included singing sensation, Mohamed Abdu, who delivered a crowd-pleasing performance on the Jubilee Park stage, backed by an orchestra. Lively shows by other artists including Ayed, DJ Faisal and DJ Leen were part of an impressive line-up of memorable performances — which offered Expo visitors the opportunity to experience the country’s changing music scene. The artists used their popular tracks to showcase how they are redefining the urban music scene, prompting audience members to move to their beats, while traditional music lovers enjoyed classical performances and folkloric music. The 2.5 million visits paid to the KSA Pavilion so far amount to nearly 30 percent of the total visits to Expo since it opened in October. The Pavilion is a ‘window’ to the world, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s past, present and future, and showcases its 13 regions through immersive and interactive exhibits.

In late 2021, the Kingdom officially submitted a bid to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to host Expo 2030 in the Saudi capital Riyadh, coinciding with the year Saudi Arabia celebrates the culmination of its ongoing efforts to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.