Elaborate arrangements made for N-Day

The Kingdom made extensive arrangements for citizens and residents to celebrate the Kingdom’s 82nd National Day today.
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs instructed all its local bodies to decorate their cities and towns with illuminations and national flags to observe the day in a fitting manner.
Riyadh is fully dotted with national flags, banners with National Day slogans and digital displays conveying greetings to people on this day. Large banners carrying the picture of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Salman are prominently displayed all over the
capital.
This year, the National Day celebrations in the capital city are held under the direct supervision of the new Mayor Abdullah bin Abdulrahman bin Muhammad Al-Meqbel
The city will be fully illuminated to give a festive atmosphere.
The government declared today a public, bank and mercantile holiday to enable citizens and residents to have their celebrations with their friends and relatives in the Kingdom.
The Ministry of Education closed all schools in the Kingdom on Saturday and Sunday on account of the National Day. Public servants would also enjoy Saturday and Sunday as holidays.
The Ministry of Education issued directives to all government schools to hold National Day celebrations in their institutions. Students will be celebrating for a week, commencing Monday.
Governorates throughout the Kingdom will hold their celebrations, while the state television and radio will carry programs related to the National Day of the country.
The Riyadh municipality has arranged seven locations in the city for people to take part in the National Day celebrations. Three of those sites will be for men only, three for families and children, and one for people with special needs.
There will be cultural shows including Ardha dance and folk dances at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Malaz, which can accommodate 15,000 men. The show is confined only to men.
A total of 300 parks in 15 districts within the Riyadh municipality are well illuminated with billboards of the king’s image and national flags of the country.
Major parks such as Al-Salama at Oteiga, Manaaq Abdulaziz, near Saqr Al-Jazeera, King Abdulaziz Historical Center on the West Ring Road and Kindi Plaza in the Diplomatic Quarter will be opened for families today till 12 midnight.
The Ministry of Culture and Information will hold a cultural show at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. The show, coupled with an exhibition, is scheduled for four days. The exhibition will highlight the Kingdom’s progress during the past eight decades.
Saudi Telecom Company has announced that all MMS messages within the STC network could be sent free-of-charge today.
The Foreign Ministry said all its missions abroad would hold National Day celebrations in their countries.
Meanwhile, a number of officials, citizens, and foreign organizations have expressed their greetings and wishes to the king and his government on the National Day.
Traffic police have upped their operations during these two days. Special squads have been allocated to control the heavy flow of traffic before and after cultural events.
Lulu Hypermarkets have lined up a series of activities to mark the day. The program includes photo exhibitions, free medical check-ups and a blood donation campaign.
The hypermarket has arranged these programs in collaboration with organizations such as the Saudi Commission For Tourism and Antiquities, (SCTA) Central Blood Bank and the Shifa Al Jazeera Polyclinic.
Almarai, the largest integrated dairy foods company in the world, has organized its Saudi National Day Open Golf Tournament on Sept. 25.
Meanwhile, expressing his greetings and good wishes to King Abdullah, his government and people, US Ambassador James B. Smith reaffirmed that the United States values Saudi Arabia as a close friend and ally.
Kuwait’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Sheikh Thamer bin Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah congratulated Saudi Arabia, its leadership and people on the eve of the day.
Speaking on behalf of Kuwait’s Emir, the envoy hailed the great contribution made by the Kingdom’s founder, the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdul-Rahman Al Saud, for the unification of the Kingdom and laying out a solid foundation with Islam and the Sunnah as guidelines of the government. The ambassador also extolled the great achievements of King Abdullah that won the appreciation and admiration from all nations of the world.
Sri Lankan Ambassador Ahmed A Jawad said: “ Saudi Arabia has come a long way since its founding. This is in significant measure due to the vision of its rulers. Under the wise leadership of King Abdullah, the country has developed in leaps and bounds in all areas of the economy. There has also been a significant development in the social sphere too. King Abdullah is without a doubt one of those rare leaders who have fundamentally altered the course of his country’s history and Saudis are extremely fortunate to have such a visionary at the helm. I am confident that this development stride will continue in the future as well and that Saudi Arabia will occupy a place of importance in the committee of nations.”
Bangladesh Ambassador Muhammad Shahidul Islam has said that this is a memorable day in the annals of the Kingdom. “We hope to strengthen our bilateral relations with the Kingdom to reach new heights,” the envoy added.