Plan a National Day (23 September) or Founding Day (22 February) campaign about six weeks ahead: pick an offer idea tied to the occasion rather than a plain discount, prepare a landing page, a product collection and a discount code, secure stock and shipping capacity, and check discount permit requirements with the Ministry of Commerce. Avoid using the national flag or the official state emblem in commercial ads and products, and rely on the colors and the published visual identity under its guidelines.
- saudi national day offers ideas for online stores
- founding day campaign ideas saudi arabia
- can I use the saudi flag in ads
- saudi national day marketing campaign plan
- founding day vs national day difference
How do you plan National Day and Founding Day offers for your store?
National Day and Founding Day campaigns are among the most important seasons for online stores in Saudi Arabia, because people are in a celebratory mood and expect special offers and designs. A successful plan starts about six weeks before the occasion: an offer idea tied to the day, a fast mobile landing page, reserved stock, a clear discount code and scheduled messages, all while respecting the official rules on national symbols and discount permits.
What separates a memorable campaign from one lost in the noise is not the size of the discount but the clarity of the idea and the quality of execution: a page that loads fast, a product that is actually in stock, and delivery on time. This guide lays out the plan step by step, for small and large stores alike.
Customers remember the campaign that celebrated with them, not the one that shouted discounts at them.
How do National Day and Founding Day differ for marketing?
Many stores treat the two occasions as the same campaign in green. Each has a different meaning, and a campaign that understands it feels more genuine:
| Item | Founding Day | National Day |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 22 February | 23 September |
| What it marks | The founding of the first Saudi state in 1727 by Imam Muhammad bin Saud | The unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 by King Abdulaziz |
| Prevailing mood | Heritage, history, traditional dress and crafts | National pride, the present and achievements |
| Product ideas | Heritage-styled editions, coffee and dates, traditional fashion and fabrics | Limited green editions, gifts, experiences and events |
| 2027 note | Expected to fall inside Ramadan | Comes after the back-to-school season |
The campaign timeline: from six weeks out to after the day
- 16 weeks out: the idea and the offer
Pick one clear idea: a limited-edition product, a gift set, or a discount on one category. Set a numeric goal: orders, new customers, or average basket.
- 25 weeks out: stock and suppliers
Reserve quantities and special packaging early, because printers and packaging suppliers get busy before the occasion.
- 34 weeks out: permits and rules
Check whether you need a discount permit from the Ministry of Commerce, and review your designs to make sure the flag and emblem are not used improperly.
- 43 weeks out: the page and the store
Build the campaign landing page, the product collection and a discount code with automatic start and end dates, and check mobile speed.
- 52 weeks out: content and ads
Shoot short videos for Snapchat and TikTok, schedule WhatsApp messages to opted-in customers, and prepare two versions of the ad to compare.
- 6The week of: operations and monitoring
Check stock and orders daily, pause ads for anything that sells out immediately, and answer customers fast.
- 7After the day: measure
Compare results against your goal, calculate the cost per new customer, and save what you learned for the next occasion.
Which numbers should you track during the campaign?
- Conversion rate from campaign page visit to completed order, split by channel.
- Average basket value compared with normal weeks, to see whether the gift or offer lifted order value.
- Share of new customers among all orders, since many campaigns aim to win customers, not just sales.
- Customer acquisition cost per ad platform, compared with your real margin after discount and shipping.
- Cancellation and return rate after the campaign, because big discounts sometimes attract orders that never complete.
Write these numbers in a simple sheet before and after the campaign; they are what make the next occasion easier and more profitable.
Offer ideas beyond 'discount on everything'
A blanket discount is easy to copy, and all your competitors will offer one. These ideas make your campaign stand out:
- Limited edition: a product in occasion-specific packaging with an announced quantity, plus a remaining-stock counter only if it is honest.
- A code with the anniversary number: many stores use the anniversary number in their discount code; keep it easy to remember and type.
- A gift with purchase: instead of cutting prices, add a small themed gift above a set order value.
- A heritage story: on Founding Day, content that tells how your product connects to local heritage, such as coffee, dates and fabrics.
- Limited free delivery: for the occasion only, with clear conditions.
- A corporate offer: nationally themed employee gifts for companies celebrating internally, ordered in advance.
- One clear campaign idea
- Honest, clear before and after prices
- Announced start and end dates
- Green designs and the published identity used by its guidelines
- The national flag or official emblem on products or commercial ads
- Raising prices before the campaign, then 'discounting' them
- Fake sell-out counters
- Exaggerated claims you cannot back up
The rules: flag, emblem and discounts
The Saudi flag carries the Shahada, the declaration of faith, so its use is regulated, including restrictions on using it in trademarks, advertising and on goods. The same applies to the official state emblem. The Ministry of Commerce usually issues reminders about these rules and about discount regulations before national occasions.
- Do not print the flag or the state emblem on products for sale, packaging or commercial ads.
- Check whether your offer needs a discount permit, and keep the permit at hand.
- Show before and after prices honestly, and keep to the announced offer period.
- Do not imply official sponsorship or a partnership with a government body that does not exist.
The campaign page and store: what to prepare technically
Most campaign visitors will arrive from an ad on their phone and decide within seconds. Make sure of these points:
| Element | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Landing page | One clear headline, the product image, the price, and a buy button visible without long scrolling |
| Discount code | Starts and ends automatically on time, with a usage cap if needed |
| Stock | Sold-out products hidden or flagged automatically so you never sell what you do not have |
| Payments | mada, Apple Pay and installments working, with a full test order before launch |
| Speed | Compressed images and hosting that handles the peak |
| Tracking | The source of every visit and order, so you know which channel worked |
For detailed advice on writing pages for Arabic-speaking visitors, read Landing pages that convert Arabic-speaking visitors, and for ad traffic specifically see Snapchat and TikTok traffic for Saudi stores. If WhatsApp messages are part of the campaign, read WhatsApp marketing done right.
Build the campaign page with Fanann
In Fanann you can add the campaign page, discount code, countdown and special collection to your existing store with one description in Arabic or English, and the agent tests the page on mobile before publishing. After the occasion you hide it or roll it back without touching the rest of the store. Start from the templates if you do not have a store yet.
Add a 'Founding Day' campaign page to my store with a heritage design in earthy colors, Arabic-first with an English version, without using the flag or the state emblem. The page shows a collection of products tagged 'founding' and a countdown to the end of the offer. Create a discount code that starts and ends automatically on two dates I set in the admin panel, limited to one use per customer. Automatically add a free gift to orders above an amount I set. Show the price before and after the discount. Record the visit source (Snapchat, TikTok, WhatsApp) with each order, and add a simple campaign report to the admin panel. Show me the plan before building.
Try it in FanannIf next Founding Day falls inside Ramadan as expected, read the Ramadan readiness checklist for Saudi stores to coordinate both campaigns.
Key takeaways
- National Day celebrates the unification of the Kingdom; Founding Day marks the first Saudi state. Each has its own tone and design.
- Start six weeks ahead: stock, design and permits take longer than you expect.
- The national flag carries the Shahada, and its use in commercial ads and products is restricted; check the current rules.
- Occasion-specific offers (limited editions, special packaging, experiences) usually beat a blanket discount.
- In 2027 Founding Day is expected to fall inside Ramadan, so keep the campaign in tune with the month.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the Saudi flag in my store's ads?
Do I need a permit for National Day offers?
What is the difference between Founding Day and National Day?
When should I start preparing National Day offers?
What are good Founding Day offer ideas for online stores?
Ask your AI assistant about this
Copy this prompt into the AI assistant you use, then add the details of your own case.
I am reading this guide: “National Day and Founding Day campaigns: a playbook for online stores” https://fanann.com/en/blog/national-day-founding-day-campaigns/ My question: saudi national day offers ideas for online stores Use that page as a source and explain the answer step by step for my situation, tell me what to check before I start, and cite the page link.