Every year on 22 February, Saudi Arabia marks Founding Day, a date that refers not to the modern state declared in 1932, but to a far earlier moment in 1727, when Imam Muhammad bin Saud assumed leadership in Diriyah and laid the foundations of the first Saudi state.
The distinction matters.
For decades, the dominant public milestone was 23 September 1932, when King Abdulaziz proclaimed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Founding Day shifts the lens back more than two centuries, to Diriyah and to the emergence of organised rule in central Arabia. The move reframes the story of the country, placing early governance and local authority at the centre of national memory.
Diriyah and the First Saudi State
In 1727, Diriyah was a settlement along Wadi Hanifa. It was not a capital in the modern sense, nor the heart of a unified territory. The Arabian Peninsula at the time was a patchwork of tribes, towns and shifting alliances. Authority was local and often fluid. Ottoman influence extended into parts of the Hijaz and eastern Arabia, but central Arabia was largely governed through local arrangements.
Imam Muhammad bin Saud consolidated control in Diriyah and established a state that would, within decades, extend across large areas of the peninsula. The first Saudi state combined religious reform, political leadership and military organisation into a structure that endured for more than 90 years before its defeat in 1818.
Founding Day draws attention to that period as the starting point of structured governance in central Arabia. Systems of taxation were introduced. Security arrangements were formalised. Alliances were codified. The state faced resistance and conflict, but it established authority beyond a single town.
Why 1727, and Why Now?
In 2022, 22 February was formally designated as Founding Day, expanding the official historical frame through which Saudis are encouraged to understand their country.
National commemorations often reflect how a country chooses to define itself. By anchoring its origins in the 18th century, Saudi Arabia presents its history as one that predates the oil era and the diplomatic recognition of 1932. The timeline now highlights continuity across three Saudi states: the first founded in 1727, the second established in 1824 and the third unified under King Abdulaziz in 1932.
Diriyah has consequently taken on renewed prominence. The restoration of At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the large-scale development of historic Diriyah aim to give physical presence to that earlier period. Mudbrick architecture, defensive walls and narrow alleyways are presented as evidence of organised urban and administrative life long before the modern skyline of Riyadh.
A History of Loss and Return
The first Saudi state expanded rapidly, yet it also faced sustained opposition. Its eventual defeat in 1818 at the hands of Ottoman Egyptian forces brought its rule to an end.
The story did not stop there.
In 1824, Turki bin Abdullah re-established Saudi authority in Riyadh, beginning the second Saudi state. In 1902, Abdulaziz recaptured Riyadh, setting in motion the campaign that would culminate in the formation of the modern kingdom in 1932.
Founding Day places these cycles of collapse and restoration at the heart of national history. The state is portrayed as something built, lost and rebuilt over generations. Its origins are tied to leadership in Diriyah rather than to the discovery of oil or to international diplomacy.
The Public Expression of the Past
Across Saudi cities, Founding Day is marked by historical reenactments, traditional dress, poetry readings and exhibitions. The visual identity is deliberate. Earth tones and mudbrick motifs dominate official branding. Men wear bishts and women wear regional attire that reflects the diversity of different provinces.
The emphasis is on continuity. Najd, the Hijaz, Asir and the Eastern Province are represented as parts of a shared historical narrative that begins in Diriyah.
For younger generations, the holiday introduces a chapter of history that can otherwise feel distant. The first Saudi state becomes visible through restored sites, school programmes and public events that revisit the early decades of state formation.
Reframing the National Timeline
Founding Day does not replace National Day. Instead, it changes the starting point of the story.
If 23 September 1932 marks the formal declaration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 22 February 1727 marks the rise of Saudi rule in Diriyah. One commemorates unification. The other marks the beginning of organised authority in central Arabia.
By formalising 1727 as a national reference point, Saudi Arabia extends its official timeline by more than two centuries. The focus shifts from the creation of the modern kingdom to the earlier foundations that made it possible.
On Founding Day, attention turns to a mudbrick town along Wadi Hanifa, where leadership in the 18th century began shaping a state whose legacy continues to define the present.
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