Misk journeys into the past to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s national day

JEDDAH: In celebration of the 90th Saudi National Day, the Misk Foundation has launched a campaign highlighting the Kingdom’s heritage, featuring a video, cinema advertisement and a bicycle race through some of the country’s key historical sites.

The campaign will shed light on historical locations and the influential people who helped build the Kingdom. It also aims to highlight the country’s current development and prosperity.

The foundation, represented by Manga Productions, has collaborated with the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives and the Japanese advertising agency Centean to produce “Al-Auja” video, which tells the history of the Kingdom by highlighting heroic figures from the past.

As a first-of-a-kind project, it also documents the Kingdom's history for future generations, including efforts by the founder King Abdul Aziz to unify the country.

Misk Foundation also released a video clip, “Rasimeen Auloumana,” which focuses on the growth, prosperity and mega-projects in the Kingdom today, while also documenting the population’s achievements and hopes.

The video takes viewers on an imagined journey by the nation’s founder as he discovers the Kingdom’s modern achievements.

The journey begins at dawn from Turaif district in Diriyah, the historical and geographical center of Saudi Arabia, where the first Saudi state was established.

King Abdul Aziz visits cities including King Abdullah Economic City, Umluj, Al-Ula and Jeddah before returning to Riyadh as he did in the past when he conquered the city with an army of only 63 men.

The campaign logo features King Abdul Aziz riding his horse, Obayya, and an imitation of the ruler’s handwriting based on his signature.

The title of the video clip is a quote from the poem of the Saudi traditional dance “Najd Shamat.”

The foundation’s celebrations will end next Wednesday with a bicycle race through key historical sites that the founder passed through during the conquest of Riyadh.

Participants will begin the journey from four sites — Abu Makhrouq Mountain, Manakh King Abdul Aziz Park, the Red Palace and Diriyah governorate — before meeting at the final gathering station, Al-Masmak Fortress.

Abu Makhrouq Mountain was a landmark for trade convoys heading to Riyadh, as well as being a park for the founder and local people.

Films produced for the national day are part of Misk’s visual productions on cultural and national events.

The foundation released several popular films, such as “Hal Al-Auja” and “Kol Meter Murabba’,” for last year’s national day, in addition to “Khuddam Al-Haram” and “Misk Al-Masha’ir” during the last two Hajj seasons.