On 18 September 1932, King Abdulaziz ibn Saud issued the decree renaming the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; it was proclaimed five days later, on 23 September, by Prince Faisal. That date became the country's National Day.

The day itself wasn't marked at an official level until 1965, when King Faisal bin Abdulaziz issued a royal decree formally designating 23 September as Saudi National Day, replacing an older observance known as Royal Seating Day. It only became a full public holiday in 2007, under King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and was first celebrated as one from 2015.

One detail most guides miss: the National Day's year count was carried over from the celebration it replaced, which used 1930 as its starting point rather than the 1932 unification itself — which is why 2026, thirty-four years after unification, is counted as the 96th National Day rather than the 94th. Both numbers are correct; they're just counting from different starting lines.

The Saudi National Day dress code has always been unmistakable: green and white, worn with pride, echoing the flag on the streets, the illuminated landmarks, and the outfit. For 2026, the considered version layers those national colours with pieces built to outlast a single evening — structured silhouettes over flowing fabric, a statement accessory in green or gold rather than a full green-on-green look.

At every budget, the differentiator is the bag. A neutral or black bag against a green-and-white outfit reads as effortlessly elevated. A bag in the day's own colour — green leather, gold hardware — reads as intentional rather than themed, which is the entire point of dressing for an occasion like this one.

Goyard's own Evergreen, made for this year

Hermès and Chanel aren't the only houses answering the day's colour this year. Goyard's Cap-Vert PM — the house's compact crossbody silhouette — has been released as a 2026 limited edition in an exclusive Goyardine canvas the house itself names Evergreen. It's the kind of coincidence a National Day gift guide doesn't get to use twice: a genuine limited-edition piece, from a third Parisian house, in the exact shade the day already calls for.

Goyard doesn't discount and rarely restocks a limited run once it sells through, so a piece like this tends to move quickly in gifting season. We carry it, along with the rest of Goyard's current pieces, alongside our Hermès and Chanel stock — see the full Goyard selection.

Saudi National Day celebrations span the Kingdom and reach into the Gulf. Ithra — the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran — has become a major cultural hub for the occasion, with programming across arts, heritage and performance built around the year's theme. In Riyadh and Jeddah, landmark buildings are illuminated in green through the days around the 23rd, and public squares carry the year's official visual identity.

Away from the public installations, the most curated celebrations happen at home or in private dining settings — where gifting etiquette, not fireworks, takes centre stage.

The case for pre-owned Hermés, Chanel and Rolex on an occasion like this one isn't a compromise — it's the more considered choice on three counts. Value: well-maintained pre-owned pieces typically sit meaningfully below new retail for the same reference. Rarity: a discontinued colourway like the Vert Amande above, or an archive Kelly size, is only reliably found on the secondary market once the boutique has moved on to the next season. And presentation: a piece that has been properly authenticated and cared for shows no compromise against one bought new.

SANDS is a luxury personal shopping and sourcing service based in the UAE — not an official Hermès, Chanel or Rolex retailer, and not an authorised dealer. Every piece that passes through us is checked against our own authenticity guarantee before it reaches you: a documented process, transparent about condition, with support that continues after the sale.