A Country Like No Other: Saudi Interior Designer Nawaf N. Al-Nassar On What Makes A Nation
Pride runs deep among the people of Saudi Arabia. On the occasion of the Kingdom’s 92nd National Day, Harper’s Bazaar Saudi asked five of the nation’s pioneers to express their gratitude to KSA in letters addressed to their country…
A nation cannot be defined in a few words. It is the place that holds us in its embrace, the vast home where soul rests and find warm respite. It is the land where we live, die and are buried. We miss it if we leave, and we kiss its earth in yearning once we return.
Nation is not a word said simply or casually, but rather a concept as broad as life itself. It is the combination of houses, streets, universities, mosques, trees, flowers and our family and friends. A nation is founded upon feelings of belonging, and the preservation of its property and valuables, defending them during both peace and war. For it is our nation that has given us safety, security and stability and is worthy of our service and protection. We must take our country’s hand to move forward towards development, progress, science and knowledge.
The duty of fostering a sense of nation belongs to its loyal and faithful people, who alone are capable of building a long-standing civilization that spans generations and becomes a source of pride. To entrench the concept of nation, it is necessary to enhance infrastructure and establish an urban civilization. It is also necessary to tend to education, healthcare, agriculture, industry and the like. These needs cannot be detached from the concept of nation because they are interconnected and reflect the nation’s capabilities.
My late father, Captain Nahar Al-Nassar, is among the key figures who helped shape my understanding of the nation. I still remember our trips together, when he used to take me as a child along with him on trips across the Kingdom, sharing its beauty and culture, and explaining to me the history of each city in the KSA. It was then that I learned that each city possesses its own unique colour, character, and rhythms, and I felt the extent of my pride and belonging to this magnificent country.
From Harper’s Bazaar Saudi’s Autumn 2022 issue