What Is the Difference Between the Saudi National Anthem and the Royal Salute?

There is a difference between the national anthem and the Royal Salute. The Royal Salute is the national musical piece that was composed initially, whereas the anthem is the poem written to its melody, beginning with “Sāri‘ī lil-majd wal-‘ulyā’”, and the Saudi salute consisted of music only since the reign of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud.

Contrary to the usual practice of taking the melody from poetry, the words of the national anthem were written to match the melody that was adopted for the Royal Salute. The Saudi poet Ibrahim Khafaji later wrote the poem of the Saudi national anthem by commission from King Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and at the suggestion of Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz. After King Khalid’s death, King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the completion of the national anthem; Khafaji completed it in 1984, after it took six months to write, then the Saudi composer Siraj Omar was commissioned to carry out the musical arrangement and melody for the anthem.

In 1984, a Royal Decree was issued approving the words of the Saudi national anthem, and it began to be broadcast officially on Saudi television and Saudi radio during opening and closing, and its performance also became compulsory in schools. Standing during the performance of the national anthem is considered one form of national respect and appreciation, as citizens, residents and guests stand at various occasions during which the national anthem is performed. In the educational context, students perform the Saudi national anthem daily as part of the morning assembly at the beginning of the school day.