Saudi Arabia holds ceremonies to mark nearly 300-year-old Founding Day

For the first time ever, Saudi Arabia marked the kingdom's nearly 300-year-old Founding Day.

Designated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in January, the Founding Day is to mark the day when Imam Muhammed bin Saud established the first Saudi state in the town of Diriyah, northwest of Riyadh, in 1727, reports Xinhua news agency.

The occasion was celebrated on Tuesday with a host of cultural events across Saudi Arabia.

The Turaif district, first capital of Saudis, in Diriyah was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2010 and has been revitalized with a series of restoration projects giving visitors a glimpse of the old palaces and mosques.

--IANS

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