The countrywide celebrations to mark the 80th National Day would instill patriotic feelings among the citizens and educate the youths about Saudi Arabia's history and King Abdul Aziz's efforts toward unification of the Kingdom in 1932. Mohammed Al-Heezan, a Saudi national and public sector employee, said the government's decision to celebrate the National Day with elaborate arrangements was a good move. He said declaring the National Day a public holiday would offer the citizens to reflect on their country's rich historical past and plan for better future. Al-Heezan said the Saudi elders who witnessed the hardships of life some 40 to 50 years ago should narrate harsh realities to the young generation. “I think we need to tell today's youths about the struggle and sacrifices of our forefathers, particularly late King Abdul Aziz that led us to develop the modern-day Saudi Arabia,” said Al-Heezan. “It appears that the Saudi citizens, particularly the country's young generation have taken the Kingdom's unparalleled developments for granted. The growing dependence of Saudi youths on their elders for day-to-day needs was evidence of this fact,” Al-Heezan said. Dr. Mohsin Shaikh Al-Hassan, a TV presenter, said the Kingdom has embarked on unprecedented development in a short time. It has prompted some people to try to undermine the economic growth and prosperity. “The National Day is an occasion to feel proud. One should not spend the public holiday by merely sleeping at home. The people should celebrate the Kingdom's unification and all Saudis, particularly the youth, should behave responsibly and strive to take the nation to new highs,” he said. Sulaiman A. Al-Madi, Marketing Manager, Saudi Railway Company (SAR) described the National Day as an occasion for citizens to look back into history and make assessments of achievements and failures. He said a few years ago Saudi Arabia had a network of 900-km of railway, which by 2020 will reach to around 5,000 km, which itself is a big achievement. “For me National Day means to look into the past and take stock of what we were before and what we are today. Based on this we can work together to make a strategy that heralds a better future,” he said. Muhammad Rasheed, a businessman, said the celebrations on National Day should help Saudi youth to understand the country's past and instill among them a feeling of national pride. He said the wise decisions taken by the government of King Abdullah offer a host of opportunities to Saudi youth, who with their dedication and hard work can work for their own personality development and contribute to the well-being of others by behaving as responsible and proud citizens of this motherland. “The Saudi youth unlike their fathers are better exposed to opportunities in all spheres of life, particularly in the field of education, which they should pursue and look for better careers,” – he said.
