“My friends and I usually dress in green, carry the Saudi flag and walk on Jeddah’s main roads dancing and cheering,” said Ibrahim Al-Alawi, a 21-year old marketing student. “Watching other young men doing the same makes us feel festive and joyful,” he added.

“I usually join my friends for lunch and play cards or gather at a friend’s house to watch movies,” said Lulua El-Bluwi, a 27-year-old art director. “We don’t usually have a massive celebration, we just stick to the theme, wear green T-shirts and take photos of the gatherings,” she added.

Many young Saudis are known to paint their cars green and stick Saudi flags on them. “I go to a car workshop every year, spray my car green and have a picture of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah put on it,” said Abdul-Wahhab Ali. “It’s nice to go out in the streets and see cars painted green or covered in the green Saudi flag,” he added.

Adel Tihami, a 27-year-old photographer, sees National Day as an opportunity to gather with friends, roam the streets and watch celebrations.

“I’m always eager to watch what happens on that day every year. People go over the top in using Saudi flags. You see them wearing them, holding them in their hands and waving them to the cameras,” he said. “I never miss Saudi National Day as I spend it driving around Jeddah looking for photo opportunities,” he added.

Many people spend the day watching festivities on Saudi television. “I love watching the celebrations on television and listening to the Saudi national anthem,” said Talah Abdu, a 16-year-old high school student. “My family and I gather in front of the television to watch festivities and enjoy listening to local singers singing Saudi songs,” she added.

Preparations for the Saudi National Day start a day before, said Hawazen Jazzar, a 23-year-old graphic designer. “I usually redecorate my house with Saudi flags and even have green table cloths, and prepare local Saudi dishes for my family to celebrate the day,” she said. “When the day finally comes, I invite family members over to my house and ask them to wear green, which is a special dress code for the day,” she added.

Many people attend lectures and seminars on the Kingdom’s history. “I love attending lectures at people’s homes. These are usually delivered by university professors who speak about the Kingdom’s history and former kings,” said Abdul Nasser Lary, a 25-year-old banker. “It’s an educational and smart way to spend the day,” he added.

According to Saleh Makki, a 17-year-old high school student, young Saudi boys are hired by businessmen to distribute Saudi flags. “When I was younger, my father and his friends used to buy around 500 small Saudi flags and pay me and my friends money to hand them out at traffic lights,” he said. “Now I’m doing the same. I pay money to younger boys to hand out flags just to fill the streets with the color green,” he added.

Saudi National Day is a national holiday for school students and employees. “I usually rent a rest house or a beach condo at a resort with my family and spend our day playing games and enjoying our day off,” said Mariam Naem a 19-year-old college student. “We like the day because the entire family is on vacation and we want to enjoy it to the fullest,” she added.

Emad Yamani, a 24-year-old businessman, said the Jeddah Corniche is the best place to be on Saudi National Day. “You can see children running around happily and families having picnics. There are also fireworks which make the day just a little bit more beautiful and stunning,” he added.

Sara Mamdouh, a 27-year-old schoolteacher, said she wishes there were more to the day than just having a day off from work. “Saudis want something new like a national event that is open to all,” she said. “We need a local event where we can gather with other Saudis and enjoy the National Day and feel united. I believe there is something more to this day than meeting family and friends wearing the color green,” she added.