Saudi king declares vacation tomorrow after shock win over Argentina: report

New Delhi:

Saudi Arabia declared a national holiday tomorrow after the soccer team’s 2-1 win over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup, state media reported. All public and private employees will have vacation tomorrow, Saudi King Salman announced today. Schools will also remain closed.

The move comes amid final exams in the Gulf nation, indicating they will have to be postponed.

Turki al-Sheikh, adviser to the Royal Court and head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced on Twitter on Tuesday that admission fees would be waived at major theme parks and entertainment centers in the city on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia bounced back from conceding an early Lionel Messi penalty to produce one of the biggest shocks of the World Cup thanks to a Saleh Al-Shehri equalizer and a sublime Salem Al-Dawsari winner at Lusail Stadium of Doha.

Celebrations erupted across the capital Riyadh after the final whistle, with fans forming impromptu dancing circles and waving the sword-emblazoned national flag from car windows at speed.