The Arabic Language in the National Discourse of Saudi Founding Day: A Pragmatic–Functional Analysis of Identity Reproduction and National Belonging/ اللغة العربية في الخطاب الوطني ليوم التأسيس السعودي: دراسة تداولية–وظيفية في إعادة إنتاج الهوية وترسيخ الانتماء

Abstract

This study examines the role of the Arabic language in the national discourse of the Saudi Founding Day in reproducing national identity and reinforcing a sense of belonging. It adopts a pragmatic–functional approach grounded in Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics and pragmatics. The study is based on the premise that Arabic in national discourse functions not merely as a means of communication but also as a symbolic and cultural resource through which national identity is constructed and continuously reproduced through the interaction of linguistic functions and pragmatic resources.

Using a descriptive-analytical methodology, the study draws on an original discourse corpus compiled from the two principal official sources of the Saudi Founding Day discourse: the official Saudi Founding Day website and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The corpus covers five consecutive annual cycles (2022–2026).

The findings reveal that the ideational function constructs historical reference and national memory, the interpersonal function strengthens public engagement and national belonging, while the textual function organizes these meanings into a coherent national narrative. The study further argues that the reproduction of national identity is not an independent linguistic function but rather a social outcome emerging from the interaction of these three metafunctions within national discourse.

The study contributes by developing a corpus-based pragmatic–functional framework that explains how Arabic discourse reproduces national identity and reinforces belonging. The proposed framework provides an analytical model that can be applied to the analysis and development of national, educational, media, and cultural discourse in future national occasions.