A series of videos were circulated on social media claiming that Saudi Arabia celebrated the Hindu festival of Deepawali on Thursday night, October 31. However, fact-checkers have confirmed that the event was the celebration of Saudi National Day, a significant public holiday in the kingdom that dates back to September 2023.
Fact-checkers debunk claims
Right-wing social media users shared several videos on social media depicting grand celebrations and firecrackers, claiming that “Even Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia are embracing Hindu culture and celebrating festivals.”
However, after digging into the sources fact-checkers debunked these misleading claims and emphasised that while Diwali is an important festive for Hindus worldwide, it was not part of the events occurring in Saudi Arabia on that date.
The enthusiastic celebrations widely circulated on social media were solely in honour of Saudi National Day, which featured fireworks, concerts and cultural showcases reflecting the Kingdom’s rich heritage. The festive atmosphere was falsely linked to Diwali celebrations, leading to confusion among social media users.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Saudi National Day event is annually held on September 23. The day is being commemorated for the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 by King Abdulaziz Al Saud.
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