In celebration of Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day, which falls on February 22, 2025, the Saudi Ministry of Culture organizes a contest for the best costumes that showcase the Founding Day heritage.
The costume competition offers a large prize pool of SAR 100,000 for 50 winners, with SAR 2,000 for each. The winning costumes must be one of those outlined in the Founding Day Fashion Guide.
As a key element of Saudi Arabia’s culture and history, the costume competition promotes the Kingdom’s traditional attire, displaying the heritage aspects and creativity of each piece. Moreover, it encourages local fashion designers, photographers and content creators to share their talent with wider audiences.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Culture has released a guideline outlining the competition’s rules. A participant has to capture a photo showcasing a Saudi traditional attire, share it on a social media platform with the hashtag Founding Day, submit a form to the Culture Ministry’s website, and then upload the photo along with the post’s link.
Registration is open from February 22 to February 28, 2025. Announcement of the winners will take place on March 12-14, 2025, with email notifications.
The Saudi traditional dress has evolved over time. Each region’s clothing had its own unique features. Men’s attire includes the ghutra head cover and bisht robe, while women’s traditional attire involves the shayla headscarf and thobe.
Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day marks the anniversary of the establishment of the First Saudi State on the hands of Imam Muhammad bin Saud more than three centuries ago.
In 1727, Imam Muhammad bin Saud took Diriyah as the capital of the state, with the Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammed’s Sunnah as its constitution. He succeeded in unifying large parts of the Arabian Peninsula under his rule, bringing stability to the region.
