88th National Day: Saudi Arabia eyes world record with 990,000 fireworks

Saudi Arabia aims to set a world record with a spectacular display of fireworks as part of the celebration of the country's 88th National Day on Sunday, according to the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), the organiser.
 
There will be 990,000 fireworks lighting up the skies of the Kingdom, in 20 main cities, including the capital Riyadh, in addition to a number of smaller shows in other parts of the country, statement issued on Sunday said.

One of the spectacles will be the painting of the largest national flag in the sky using 300 drones, which is another Guinness record the country is eyeing.
The flag measuring 400 metres in length and 350 metres in width will display the sword and the Declaration of Faith. Fireworks will illuminate the background in green.
The drones show is being organised in collaboration with the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming.
 
The fireworks show is expected to break the Guinness World Record created by the Philippines during the New Year celebrations in 2016, when 810,000 fireworks were displayed.
 
The fireworks are supplied by Grucci, a fireworks company headquartered in Bellport in New York's Long Island. The company holds the Guinness World Record in the categories of "Largest Fireworks Display" and "Largest Pyrotechnic Image".
 
Phil Grucci, the Chief Executive of Grucci, said: "We have been working on this for only two months now, although a programme of this size and magnitude would take eight months to a year. Fireworks have been made and manufactured and shipped from all over the world."
 
The company has flown in 250 pyrotechnicians to work out the logistics along with GEA.
 
"The fireworks were brought into the Kingdom by land, sea and air transport," Grucci said. "Seven airplanes and four ships were used to bring 20 containers of fireworks and equipment. There are over 500 tonnes of fireworks that we will be used on the occasion of the National Day celebrations."

• Saudi Arabia