On the evening of 22 February, as Founding Day celebrations unfolded across the capital, the skyline above Riyadh became part of the programme.
Hundreds of coordinated drones rose into the night, forming shifting digital images across the sky. By the end of the performance, stc group had secured two Guinness World Records titles, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The first recognised the largest multirotor drone QR code formation. The second acknowledged the largest moving aerial image formed by multirotor drones.
Technology as spectacle
Drone light shows have become a regular feature of major events in Saudi Arabia, from national celebrations to global sporting fixtures. What distinguished this performance was its scale and precision.
A fleet of multirotor drones moved in tightly synchronised formations, generating digital visuals above the city. At one point, the drones assembled into a functional QR code suspended in the sky, combining technical coordination with an interactive element. The sequence culminated in the two record breaking formations formally verified by Guinness World Records.
The display formed part of stc group’s contribution to Founding Day festivities, which commemorate the establishment of the first Saudi state in 1727. Across Riyadh, events ranged from heritage performances to fireworks. Overhead, the drone choreography offered a different kind of visual language, one rooted in data, coordination, and light.
A digital interpretation of national celebration
Founding Day celebrations often draw on historical imagery, traditional dress, and cultural performance. The drone show introduced a contemporary layer to those expressions.
Rather than fireworks alone, the display relied on software, timing systems, and coordinated flight paths. The formations required precise positioning to generate legible shapes and a scannable QR code in the air. The moving aerial image demanded further calibration, with each drone acting as a pixel in a shifting composition.
The records confirm the technical complexity involved. They also reflect a broader trend in how public celebrations are being staged across the Kingdom, where digital infrastructure and large scale visual technology increasingly play a role.
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