Hindus around the world celebrate Diwali every year at the end of October, with images and videos often go viral on social media. But one alleged video showing Diwali celebration in the conservative Muslim country Saudi Arabia sparked outrage on social media.
The video shows fireworks light up the sky over a backdrop of high-rise buildings, with men and women in burqas watching the display.
“Diwali celebration in Saudi Arabia. The Arab world is moving towards light from darkness,” one user on X claimed. Another Facebook user commented, “Saudi Arabia witnesses Diwali celebrations, whereas liberal governments in India tend to limit our festive traditions.”
However, the claim is false. This is not a Diwali celebration in Saudi Arabia in 2024. This is an old footage of Saudi Arabia’s National Day celebration. Pak Qatar Community posted the video on September 23 this year, where it described the video as Saudi Arabia’s 94th National Day. This clarifies that the video was before Diwali, which occurred on October 31 and November 1 this year.
Same video appears on several Instagram accounts and YouTube channels confirming that it actually belonged to Saudi Arabia’s National Day celebration.
