Saudi authorities are promoting Founding Day celebrations in central Riyadh, with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City organising heritage-themed programming in the Qasr Al-Hukm district, including events at Al-Adl (Justice) Square.

Founding Day, observed on 22 February, commemorates the beginning of Mohammed bin Saud’s rule in Diriyah in 1727 and has become a high-profile fixture in the kingdom’s official calendar in recent years.

The choice of venue carries a symbolism that has drawn criticism. Al-Adl Square is widely identified as Deera Square, also known locally as Safa Square, a location historically associated with capital punishment and, in past decades, public beheadings. Rights campaigners and critics say staging national celebrations in a place linked to executions is insensitive, particularly to families of those put to death by the state.

The festivities come amid sustained international scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty. Human rights organisations have documented a sharp rise in executions in recent years.

While the holiday is officially framed around Mohammed bin Saud’s rise in 1727, many historians point to the 1744 Diriyah pact between bin Saud and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abd Alwahhab as a decisive formative moment. Critics say the sidelining of bin Abd Alwahhab’s role has accelerated since the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with state media and Founding Day programming increasingly focusing on bin Saud alone. Some observers argue that shift has provoked the Al Al-Sheikh family, whose name explicitly traces back to Sheikh Mohammed bin Abd Alwahhab.