The warm night of May 1, 2014, will remain forever etched in the collective memory of the Saudi nation because it saw the inauguration of a brand new multibillion-riyal stadium by the late King Abdullah.

It was all the more memorable for the king’s interaction with a little boy, which symbolized the mutual love and respect between the monarch and the country’s citizens.

At halftime in the match between Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab, the floodlights dimmed, and as hundreds of thousands of camera phones flashed, a smart-looking young boy dressed in green appeared in the middle of the pitch holding a shimmering crystal ball.

Watched intently by about 100,000 spectators jam-packed into the stadium, including members of the royal family and other guests, he suddenly took flight, soaring up into the night sky toward the grandstand.

Jaws dropped in amazement as the giant screens on both sides of the spectacular stadium magnified his upward journey.

The young boy, 10-year-old Faisal Abdul Rahman Al-Ghamdi, was lifted by seemingly invisible hands up to the royal gallery where King Abdullah was seated with other government leaders.

As he approached the king, Faisal said: “Please place your generous hands on the ball to inaugurate this stadium.” The king smiled and said: “God bless you. And thank you all. This stadium is for all the young people of Saudi Arabia.”

As the king touched the ball, it lit up, to thunderous applause from spectators in the stadium. The king asked him to come closer and presented him with his luxury Dupont pen.

Faisal accepted the gift with unconcealed joy on his face, and then the invisible wires lifted him up and placed him safely back onto the field with the glowing orb in his hands.

“Oh my God,” exclaimed Badr Al-Qahtani, a journalist who was reporting from the media box. “This is stupendous. Unbelievable. It looked as if he was being lifted upwards by some magnetic force. It was flawless.”

The happy faces inside the royal gallery were beamed live to the nation and the world. Minutes later, Faisal started getting offers from businessmen to buy the pen. One person offered SR100,000 but Faisal refused. “This is the most precious gift and I will keep it for the rest of my life,” he said. “I will tell my children about it.”

Faisal is the nephew of famous singer Abdullah Al-Rashad, who had encouraged him to audition for the place that Saudi Aramco was offering. He was chosen from 170 children who auditioned for the dream role. He had to undergo intense training for the show. He practiced with a French coach for nearly three weeks.

“I spent about six hours a day, and flew nearly 30 times until I became completely comfortable with it. I then successfully did it in front of King Abdullah,” he said.

Popular Saudi journalist Ibrahim Al-Freiyyan, who commands a huge fan following on Twitter, thanks to his pictures with celebrities, said: “Faisal eclipsed me tonight. He is the star.”