DHAHRAN/JEDDAH/RIYADH: From streets draped in green and cars flying the Saudi flag to family gatherings, traditional meals and stories passed between generations, Saudi National Day on Wednesday will bring communities across the Kingdom together in celebration.

“My favorite scene is when my car is stuck on King Abdulaziz Road,” Mohannad Garoud, 28, a marine engineer in Jeddah, told Arab News. “People leave their homes to enjoy the celebrations and see how others have decorated their cars. Everyone celebrates in their own way.”

In Jazan, celebrations bring together national pride and the region’s distinctive cultural heritage, said Nahla Zamim, 36, a mother of four. “The streets and waterfronts are transformed by the color green,” she said.

Abdullah Al-Othaim, a student in Riyadh, said: “What stands out to me is how much the Kingdom has changed within a single generation. The younger ones have only ever known the Saudi Arabia we have today, so they have no picture of what came before.”

While restaurants will offer special menus and green-and-white creations, Lama Alidrissy, a culinary arts student in Alkhobar, will be “celebrating through food,” she told Arab News. “I’m developing an elevated Saudi dessert inspired by Hijazi flavors, bringing traditional flavors into a contemporary form as part of my studies.”