Members of the royal family, together with government officials and senior diplomats participated in the Kuwait National Day celebrations at the Ritz Carlton on Sunday.

More than 1,500 guests were present at the reception hosted by Kuwait Ambassador Sheikh Thamer bin Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah.

Riyadh Gov. Prince Khalid bin Bandar and Prince Turki bin Abdullah attended the evening reception of the National Day anniversary.

Feb. 25 is the 52nd anniversary of the independence from British rule in Kuwait, while Feb. 26 signifies the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq invasion of 1991.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah sent a cable of congratulations to Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait on this occasion.

Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, also sent a cable of congratulations to Emir of Kuwait on the anniversary of his country’s National Day.

In his cable, the Crown Prince wished the Emir good health, steady progress and prosperity among the people of Kuwait for the nation’s development.

A senior Kuwaiti diplomat told Arab News that the presence of the elite members of the Kingdom demonstrated the excellent relations between the two countries.

He announced that the mission in Riyadh will remain closed for a week on account the celebrations.