Saudi National Day 2025: Exceptional Giving Continues as Timeless Tradition
Saudi Arabia marks its 95th National Day on September 23, 2025, celebrating another year of progress, prosperity, generosity and exceptional giving.
This year, the significant national occasion is observed under the theme “Our Pride is in Our Nature,” honoring the core values and qualities that have shaped Saudi Arabia’s identity over the ages.
Exceptional Giving is one of the authentic traits deeply-rooted in the Saudi character, passing down through generations.
Saudi National Day
On September 23 of each year, Saudis observe their National Day, marking the anniversary of the unification of Najd and Hejaz into one Kingdom by King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud in 1932.
The day has become an annual national occasion, with the first celebration taking place in 1965, under King Faisal bin Abdulaziz. Then, it became an official holiday in 2005, following a royal decree by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
Exceptional Giving: Generosity without Limits
One of the noblest qualities that identify Saudis is Exceptional Giving. In the Saudi culture, people open their homes to others, welcoming them with warm reception before they even ask. It is about offering time, effort and help, and finding joy in the act of giving.
The quality of Exceptional Giving is reflected in the identity of the Saudi National Day 2025 with an illustration of an open door, symbolizing generosity and warm hospitality, complemented with the ever-warm coffee pot and the Oud incense that never stops burning.
Hosting Iranian Pilgrims
In a warm humanitarian gesture, Saudi Arabia offered support for stranded Iranian pilgrims in the Kingdom until their safe return home, upon a directive from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
King Salman’s directive came shortly after the Israeli airstrikes on Iran in mid-June 2025, which spiraled into a 12-day war between Iran and Israel, leading Tehran to close its airspace.
In response, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, presented a comprehensive support plan to the King, tasking the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah with providing Iranian pilgrims with all forms of support and facilitating their safe and dignified return to their homeland.
Saudi Support for Palestine
In addition to the steadfast support for the rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent Palestine State, Saudi Arabia has provided generous financial assistance to Palestine.
Over the past years, the Kingdom’s aid to Palestine has amounted to $5.3 billion, in the form of humanitarian, relief and development assistance, to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the face of economic and humanitarian challenges.
In June 2025, Saudi Arabia delivered a $30 million installment to Palestine, as part of its ongoing financial support to the State of Palestine for the year 2025.
Moreover, the total financial aid provided by Saudi Arabia to Palestine throughout 2024 amounted to $40 million, underscoring the Kingdom’s firm commitment to supporting the rights of the Palestinian people.
Economic Aid to Yemen
Saudi Arabia has provided unwavering support for Yemen across various sectors, through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), to bolster peace and stability in the country.
This support took the form of launching projects, programs and initiatives that promote sustainable development in Yemen, making Saudi Arabia the largest supporter for Yemen across the economy, relief, and development sectors.
Furthermore, the Kingdom has backed economic recovery in Yemen, by providing direct assistance to the Central Bank, as well as grants and deposits, to boost cash reserves, improve domestic liquidity and enhance economic confidence.
In December 2024, Saudi Arabia provided a $500mn economic aid package for Yemen, including $300mn deposit in the Central Bank of Yemen, to improve the economic and financial situations; and $200mn to address budget deficit. This package is part of a larger $1.2bn initiative led by SDRPY.
KSrelief Exceptional Giving
A strong example of Saudi Arabia’s exceptional giving is the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief). As the humanitarian arm of the Kingdom, KSrelief has implemented 3,632 projects in 108 countries in collaboration with 466 partners, with a total cost surpassing $8.15 billion, since its establishment in 2015.
Over the last year, the center has focused its efforts on the Gaza Strip, delivering more than 7,500 tons of food, medical and shelter aid, in addition to 20 ambulances, via air and sea bridges consisting of 62 aircraft and 8 vessels.
In Syria, KSrelief has implemented 419 relief and humanitarian projects, with a value exceeding $532 million, in addition to sending air and land convoys with shelter, food, and medical aid.
The center has also implemented 212 projects worth over $167 million in Sudan. These included providing food and shelter, securing medical supplies for cancer patients, establishing a desalination plant at a children’s hospital in Port Sudan, and addressing the severe shortage of dialysis supplies during the humanitarian crisis.
Moreover, KSrelief has launched 141 relief and humanitarian projects in Somalia, with a total value surpassing $248 million. These included projects to support water and sanitation in IDP camps and constructing 200 residential units with health and educational facilities for flood victims in Kismayo.
In Yemen, the center has implemented 1,118 projects valued at over $4.650 billion, including operating the Saudi Hospital in Hajjah, managing emergency nutritional clinics for displaced persons in Hodeidah, and providing comprehensive care and sponsorship for orphans in Hadramout.
