The Cultural National Values Derived from the Saudi Founding Day (An Inductive Study)

Abstract

This study explores the cultural and national values derived from the Saudi Founding Day, focusing on its role in strengthening patriotism, fostering loyalty and national belonging, and reinforcing pride in national identity, as well as its contribution to unifying the people around their leadership. The research employed the descriptive-inductive method and concluded that the essence of national values lies in the concept of belonging, which represents a fundamental pillar of citizenship and a key dimension of social interaction. The findings further indicate that national values are in harmony with Islamic principles-such as love, loyalty, pride, and attachment to one’s homeland-while also nurturing and reinforcing this innate inclination. Islam does not reject loyalty and belonging to the homeland, nor does it consider them contradictory; rather, it regards them as a natural disposition, one that it refines and strengthens, integrating people without discrimination. Moreover, the practice of religion can only be realized within a homeland and geography that provide the framework for broader Islamic belonging. The study recommends that educational policymakers at all levels incorporate national concepts, rooted in Islamic culture, into curricula.