Addressing his country’s National Day celebrations, the envoy said that a testimony to the good relations was the wide array of bilateral events and visits that take place on a regular basis.

Also, the multitude of Swedish companies present in the Kingdom is an indicator of the depth of relations. The embassy has also been working to deepen bilateral ties.

The event was attended by Riyadh Mayor Ibrahim Al-Sultan and a large number of members of the diplomatic corps, in addition to Saudi businessmen. The embassy celebrated the event on Sunday night, though the actual National Day was on June 6.

Describing bilateral relations as long-standing, the ambassador said they date back to the 1950s, and have been growing steadily since then.

“The theme of this year’s National Day is Northern Sweden, or Lapland, which is a beautiful, if little known, part of Sweden. We hope to see many of you visiting not only Sweden, but also the northern part,” he added.

According to the ambassador, June 6 is an important date for Swedes, as on this day in 1523, the foundation of the kingdom of Sweden was laid when Gustav Vasa was elected king of Sweden. On this day in 1809, the Swedish Parliament adopted a new constitution to include the establishment of civil rights and liberties.

This constitution became the platform for a number of important reforms in Sweden, notably with regard to education.

“The Swedish king at the time made education mandatory for all Swedes, which led to an education boom which in turn created an environment of innovation and entrepreneurship some 50-60 years later, when companies such as Ericsson, AGA, ASEA and others were created,” he said.