Do you wanna know the meaning behind all the Middle Eastern flags? This post lists all the 19 Middle Eastern countries from, describes their flags and gives the detailed meaning behind their colors.
The flags and meanings of different Middle Eastern countries may differ ever so slightly but almost all of them have one idea in common, Pan-Arabism. Thus, the Pan-Arab colors are clearly visible on most, if not all the flags of the Arab World.
Flags Related Content:
- Caribbean Flags, Their Colors, and Meanings
- Flags of Europe: Colors and Meanings
- 56 African Flags, their Colors, and Meanings
Jump to
What are the Pan-Arab Colors?
The Pan-Arab colors are black, white, green, and red. The four Pan-Arab colors represent four historical dynasties. White represents the Ummayad Dynasty; black represents the Abbasid Dynasty; Red represents the Hashemite Dynasty and the green represents the Rashidun Caliphates and the religion of Islam.
Save this Post for Later!
Middle Eastern Flags
1. Flag of Saudi Arabia
Saudi flag description: The flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a green flag featuring in white color an Arabic inscription written in the calligraphic Thuluth script and a sword pointed to the left. The inscription is the Islamic Shahada (Islamic declaration of faith): “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah“.
Saudi flag meaning: The green of the flag represents Islam and the sword stands for the strictness in applying justice.
The flag of Saudi Arabia was adopted on 15 March 1973
Important Note: Because the shahada is considered holy, the flag is not used on T-shirts or other advertising items. Also, The flag of Saudi Arabia is never flown at half-mast.
Read More About Saudi Arabia
2. Flag of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates flag description: The flag of the United Arab Emirates represents the Pan-Arab colors (red, green, white, and black). The flag contains a horizontal tricolor of green, white, and black with a vertical 1⁄4-width red bar at the hoist
United Arab Emirates flag meaning: The meaning of the flag’s four colors is the unity of Arab nations.
The flag of the UAE was adopted on 2 December 1971
3. Flag of Qatar
Qatari flag description: The national flag of Qatar is maroon with a white band on the hoist side, separated from a maroon area on the fly side by nine white triangles which act like a serrated line. The flag of Qatar is very similar to the flag of the neighboring country Bahrain.
Qatari flag meaning: The purple-red color of the flag highlights Qatar’s history of the purple dye industry. The 9 white serrated triangles signify Qatar’s inclusion as the 9th member of the ‘reconciled Emirates’ of the Persian Gulf.
The flag of Qatar was adopted in 6 July 1971
Related Content
- Caribbean Flags, Their Colors, and Meanings
- Flags of Europe: Colors and Meanings
- 56 African Flags, their Colors, and Meanings
4. Flag of Bahrain
Bahraini flag description: The national flag of Bahrain consists of a white band on the left, separated from a red area on the right by five triangles that serve as a serrated line.
Bahraini flag meaning: Bahrain flag contains red which is the traditional color for flags of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The five white triangles symbolize the five pillars of Islam which are the declaration of faith, (Shahada), Prayer (Salat), Alms (Zakat), Fasting (Sawm), and Pilgrimage (Hajj).
The flag of Bahrain was adopted on 14 February 2002
5. Flag of Oman
Omani flag description: The national flag of Oman has three stripes (white, green, and red) with a red bar on the left that contains two crossed swords over a Gambia, a traditional curved Omani dagger.
Omani flag meaning: In the flag of Oman, the white stands for peace and prosperity, the green for fertility and the Green Mountains “Jebel al Akhdar“, and the red for battles against foreign invaders. The dagger and the swords are the national emblems of Oman that date back to the 18th century.
The flag of Oman was adopted in 1970
6. Flag of Kuwait
Kuwaiti flag description: The flag of Kuwait is A horizontal triband of green, white and red; with a black trapezium based on the hoist side.
Kuwaiti flag meaning: The present flag of Kuwait represents the Pan-Arab colors. But each color refers to its own meaning and dynasty. Red symbolizes the blood on the swords of Arab warriors (The Hashemite dynasty), White symbolizes purity and noble deeds (The Umayyad dynasty), Green represents the fertile land of Arabia (The Fatimid dynasty), and Black represents the defeat of enemies in battle (The Abbasid dynasty)
The flag of Kuwait was adopted on 7 September 1961
7. Flag of Jordan
Jordanian flag description: The flag of Jordan consists of horizontal black, white, and green bands that are connected by a red chevron.
Jordanian flag meaning: The flag of Jordan is based on the 1916 flag of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The colors stand for the Pan-Arab Colors, representing the Abbasid (black band), Umayyad (white band), and Fatimid (green band) caliphates. The red chevron is for the Hashemite dynasty and the Arab Revolt. The star stands for the unity of the Arab people. Its seven-pointed star refers to the seven verses of Al-Fatiha.
The flag of Jordan was adopted on 16 April 1922
8. Flag of Egypt
Egyptian flag description: The flag of Egypt has three horizontal stripes (red, black, and white). In the center of the white band, the flag bears the Eagle of Saladin,
Egyptian flag meaning: The red color in the Egyptian flag is a memorial of the sacrifices and blood of the martyrs, the white symbolizes peace and the black represents the dark period of occupation. The eagle is a symbol of power and strength.
The flag of Egypt was adopted in 4 October 1984
9. Flag of Syria
Syrian flag meaning: The flag of the Syrian Arab Republic is divided into three rectangles of identical dimensions of three colors: red, white, and black, with two green stars, of five angles each. The upper rectangle is red, the bottom one is black and the middle rectangle is white with the two green stars in the middle.
Syrian flag meaning: The flag of Syria was readopted to show the country’s commitment to Arab unity. The flag is based on the Arab Liberation Flag, which had four colors – black, green, white, and red – representing four major dynasties of Arab history: Abbasids (oppression), Faṭimids (the stars representing Egypt and Syria), Umayyads (bright and peaceful future), and Hashimites (bloody struggle for freedom).
Important Note: As a result of the ongoing Syrian Civil War, there are currently two flags used to represent Syria, used by different factions in the war.
10. Flag of Lebanon
Flag of Lebanon description: The flag of Lebanon is formed of two horizontal red stripes enveloping a horizontal white stripe between them. The green cedar (Lebanon Cedar) in the middle touches each of the red stripes and its width is one-third of the width of the flag.
Flag of Lebanon meaning: The two red stripes refer to the Lebanese bloodshed to preserve the country against the successive invaders while the white color on the flag represents the snow as a symbol of purity and peace. The Presence and position of the Cedar in the middle of the flag are directly inspired by the mountains of Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani). The Cedar is the symbol of Maronite Christians.
The flag of Lebanon was adopted on 7 December 1943
Read more | Lebanese Food: 6 Amazing Foods You Have To Try
11. Flag of Yemen
Flag of Yemen Description: The flag of Yemen is basically the Arab Liberation Flag of 1952, introduced after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 in which Arab nationalism was a dominant theme. It consists of three equal horizontal stripes (red, white, and black from top to bottom).
Flag of Yemen Meaning: In Yemen’s flag, black depicts the civil war between north and south, while white represents
a bright future and red stand for the struggle to achieve independence and unity.
The flag of Yemen was adopted on May 22, 1990
12. Flag of Palestine
Flag of Palestine Description: The flag of Palestine is a tricolor of three equal horizontal stripes (black, white, and green from top to bottom) overlaid by a red triangle issuing from the hoist.
Flag of Palestine meaning: This flag is derived from the Pan-Arab colors and is used to represent the State of Palestine and the Palestinian people.
The flag of Palestine was adopted in 15 November 1988
13. Flag of Iraq
Flag of Iraq description: The flag of Iraq includes the three equal horizontal red, white, and black stripes of the Arab Liberation flag, with takbīr (the phrase Allahu akbar, meaning “God is the greatest” in Arabic) in Kufic script written in the center.
Flag of Iraq meaning: The black, white, green, and red are the pan-Arab colors, representing pan-Arabism.
The flag of Iraq was adopted on 31 July 1963
14. Flag of Algeria
Flag of Algeria description: The Algerian flag features 3 main colors: Green, white and red, and 2 symbols, the star, and the crescent.
Flag of Algeria Meaning: The green color represents Islam, Algeria’s religion, and the white color represents peace and purity while the red color represents the blood of martyrs during the Algeria war, between 1954 and 1962. Finally, the star and crescent are also symbols of Islam.
The flag of Algeria was adopted on July 3, 1962
15. Flag of Morocco
Flag of Morocco description: The flag of Morocco is made of a red field with a black-bordered green pentagram star.
Flag of Morocco Meaning: Both Red and Green colors are associated with Islam. The green pentagram is drawn with five straight lines; each line represents one of the five pillars of Islam, Morocco’s religion. green is also often associated with Islam.
The flag of Morocco was adopted on November 17, 1915
16. Flag of Tunisia
Flag of Tunisia Meaning: Some say that the Tunisian flag is one of the oldest flags in the world, being made in the 1830s. The red background is a symbol of Islam, the dominant religion and way of life in Tunisia.
The crescent is also a strong symbol of Islam, which was inherited from their Ottoman influence and history. The white circle represents peace. The five-pointed star represents the five pillars of Islam.
The flag of Tunisia was adopted on October 20, 1959
17. Flag of Libya
Colors of the Flag of Libya: Libya’s flag consists of a white star and crescent on a triband red-black-green design.
Meaning of the Flag of Libya: In Libya, green highlights hope and prosperity
The flag of Libya was adopted on December 24, 1951
18. Flag of Sudan
Colors of the Flag of Sudan: The flag of Sudan consists of a horizontal red-white-black tricolor with a green triangle at the hoist.
Meaning of the flag of Sudan: Sudan’s flag colors stand for Arab unity and independence. The red stripe represents Sudan’s struggle for independence and the sacrifices of the country’s martyrs. The white represents the people, light, and optimism. The black represents the black flag of nationalists who fought colonial rule during the Mahdist Revolution, late in the 19th century. Green represents Islam, agriculture, and the prosperity of the land.
The flag of Sudan was adopted on May 20, 1970
What is Pan-Arabism?
Pan-Arabism is the idea that Arab peoples have common political cultural and religious interests and so they need to unify into a single nation. It also promotes the eminence of the Arabic language, religion (Islam), and culture to counter Western imperial influences in the Middle-east.
The idea of Pan-Arabism started to take shape in the 19th century, during the decline of the Ottoman Empire, which dominated most of the Arab world and the Middle East
The voices of Arab intellectuals from across the region seemed to echo a similar message. That message was that Arabs need to unite upon their commonality to secure their freedom and independence.
The idea of Pan-Arabism continued to gain popularity in the Arab world, especially in the post-WWII era. One of the strong champions of Pan-Arabism was the famous Arab nationalist, the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1956-1970).
Some argue that he was considered a leader of Pan-Arabism. So much so that after his demise the idea lost momentum and today, it scarcely exists at all.
After reading a little bit about history, let’s dive into each flag of the Arab world/ Middle-east and the meanings behind them.
FAQs About Middle Eastern Flags
- Dozens of flags feature a tree, but the only Middle Eastern flag to feature one is Lebanon’s.
- Many Middle Eastern flags feature red, white, and green, so Qatar’s field of maroon flag really stands out
4 comments
Why is Iran included in this article, when it has nothing to do with the Arab world, after all, its flag has nothing to do with the flags of Arab countries?
Hello Abdul,
Thank you for noticing. This post was about both middle eastern and Arab countries and it was recently updated to focus on Arab countries only.
May I know why you have not mentioned when the flag of Sudan was adopted? You covered all the countries but not Sudan, why?
Thank you for your comment. The post was edited with the adoption date which we just forgot to add given the number of countries we have on the list.