Flag of Saudi Arabia

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Green Banner (Arabic: الخفاق الاخضر, romanized: al-Khafaq al-Akhdar)[1]

Use| State and war flag, state and naval ensign
Proportion| 2:3
Adopted| 15 March 1973; 52 years ago (1973-03-15)
Design| A green field with the Shahada (the Islamic creed) written in the Thuluth script in white above a horizontal sword, having its tip pointed to the left.
Designed by| Hafiz Wahba[2] and Saleh al-Mansouf[3]

The national flag of Saudi Arabia[a] is a green background with Arabic inscription and a sword in white. The inscription is the Islamic creed, or shahada: "There is no deity but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God". The current design has been used by the government of Saudi Arabia since 15 March 1973.

## Design

[edit]

The Arabic inscription on the flag, written in the calligraphic Thuluth Script, is the shahada or Islamic declaration of faith:

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله
lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh, muḥammadun rasūlu-llāh
'There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God.'[4]

The flag's green represents Islam, and the sword stands for safety and justice.[5]

The flag is manufactured with identical obverse and reverse sides, to ensure the shahada reads correctly, from right to left, from either side. The sword also points to the left on both sides, in the direction of the script.[6]

The usual color of the flag's green was approximated by Album des pavillons as Pantone 330 C, while the color used on flags at United Nations is approximately Pantone 349. At the 2012 London Olympics, Pantone 355 was used.[7]

### Construction sheet and color shades

[edit]

Colors scheme  | Green | White | Construction sheet

|
|
|

Pantone (Fabric)

| `19-6026 TCX` | `240/240/236` |
Pantone | `3425C` | `White`

RGB

| `0/84/48` | `240/240/236`
Hexadecimal | `#005430` | `#FFFFFF`
CMYK | `89/15/97/56` | `0/0/2/6`
Sources  | [8]

## Use

[edit]

The flag of Saudi Arabia is never flown at half-mast as a sign of respect towards the holiness of the shahada, the sacred creed depicted on the flag.

Because the shahada is considered holy, the flag is not normally used on T-shirts or other items. Saudi Arabia protested against its inclusion on a planned football to be issued by FIFA, bearing all the flags of the participants of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Saudi Arabian officials said that abusing the shahada was completely unacceptable and sacrilegious. Similarly, an attempt by the U.S. military to win favour with children of the Khost Province of Afghanistan by distributing footballs adorned with flags, including that of Saudi Arabia, ended in demonstrations.[9]

The flag is never lowered to half-mast as a sign of mourning because lowering it would be considered blasphemous and desecrating.[10] Similarly, the flags of Afghanistan and Somaliland also never at half-mast, and neither is the flag of Iraq because it bears the takbir.[11]

The normal flag cannot be hoisted vertically according to Saudi legislation. Special vertical flags are manufactured where both the inscription (the creed) and the emblem (the sword) are rotated, although this is rare, as most Arab countries traditionally do not hoist flags vertically.

## History

[edit]

flag (hanging)

The precursor states to Saudi Arabia were Nejd and Hejaz. The state flag of Nejd followed today's Saudi flag pattern very closely. The state of Hejaz followed the patterns seen in countries like Palestine and Sudan. Caliphs such as Rashiduns, Umayyads and Abbasids used different colors, inscriptions and symbols. After the Siege of Baghdad in 1258, the primary caliphate became the Mamluk Sultanate. In 1517, the Ottomans invaded Egypt and inherited Hejaz and ruled it until the Arab Revolt (1916–18). From 1902 until 1921 a different Arabic inscription was used. One of the primary opponents to the Saudis was the Emirate of Jabal Shammar of the Al Rashid family in the north of the peninsula, until their defeat in 1921.

The Al Saud, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia, has long been closely related with Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. He and the people who followed him, since the 18th century, had used the shahada on their flags.[12] In 1921, Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al-Saud, leader of the Al Saud and the future founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, added a sword to this flag.[12] Variants with two swords and/or a white vertical stripe at the hoist were frequently used. By 1938, the flag had basically assumed its present form, except the sword had a different design (with a more curved blade) and it, along with the shahada above, took up more of the flag's space.

The design of the flag was not standardized prior to 15 March 1973 when its use became official.[13]

## Royal Standard

[edit]

King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir meet with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in September 2015.

The Royal Standard consists of a green flag, with an Arabic inscription and a sword featured in white, and with the national emblem embroidered in gold in the lower right canton of the year 1973.

The script on the flag is written in the Thuluth script. It is the shahada or Islamic declaration of faith:

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله
lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh, muhammadun rasūlu-llāh
There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God[14]

## See also

[edit]

* Saudi Arabia portal

* List of Saudi Arabian flags
* Emblem of Saudi Arabia
* Saudi Flag Day
* National symbols of Saudi Arabia
* Saudi Arabia
* Salman of Saudi Arabia
* Faisal of Saudi Arabia

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Arabic: علم المملكة العربية السعودية

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "ارفع الخفاق أخضر". العربية. March 7, 2023.
2. ^ "Royal decree instituting Saudi Flag Day is 'an act of honor, glory and pride,' say scholars". Arab News.
3. ^ "Renowned Saudi calligrapher Saleh al-Mansouf, known for flag design, passes away". Al Arabiya English. March 11, 2023.
4. ^ "About Saudi Arabia: Facts and figures". The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington D.C. Archived from the original on 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
5. ^ Eriksen, Thomas; Jenkins, Richard (2007). Flag, Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America. Routledge. p. 171\. ISBN 9780415444040. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
6. ^ "Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Flag". Saudi Flag Day.
7. ^ "Redirect to New Website - Dag Hammarskjöld Library - Research guides". www.un.org.
8. ^ THE GUIDELINE FOR THE USE OF THE SAUDI ARABIAN FLAG (PDF). Ministry of Culture.
9. ^ Leithead, Alastair (2007-08-26). "'Blasphemous' balls anger Afghans". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2007-08-26.
10. ^ "Saudi King Fahd is laid to rest". BBC News. 2 August 2005.
11. ^ "The National Emblem of Afghanistan". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
12. ^ a b Firefly Guide to Flags of the World. Firefly Books. 2003. p. 165\. ISBN 978-1552978139. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
13. ^ Elie Podeh (2011). The Politics of National Celebrations in the Arab Middle East. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 256\. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511734748.009. ISBN 9780511734748.
14. ^ "About Saudi Arabia: Facts and figures". The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington D.C. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to National flag of Saudi Arabia.

* World Flags Information, Saudi Arabian page Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
* Saudi Arabian flag and associated information
* Saudi Arabia Flag Guide (in English)

* v
* t
* e

Saudi Arabia articles

History|

* First Saudi State
* Second Saudi state
* Third Saudi State
* Emirate of Riyadh
* Emirate of Nejd and Hasa
* Sultanate of Nejd
* Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd
* Kingdom of Hejaz
* Unification
* Modern history

Geography|

* Borders
* Cities and towns
* Climate
* Earthquakes
* Governorates
* Mountains
* Provinces
* Wadis
* Wildlife

Politics|

* Allegiance Council
* Cabinet
* Consultative Assembly
* Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
* Foreign relations
* King
* Crown Prince
* Mabahith (secret police)
* National Security Council
* Nuclear program
* Prime Minister

Law|

* Basic Law
* Capital punishment
* Elections
* Freedom of religion
* Human rights
* LGBT
* Rape
* Women
* Judiciary
* Mutaween (religious police)
* Passport
* Visa policy

Military|

* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Air Defense
* Strategic Missile Force
* National Guard
* Chairman of the General Staff
* General Staff Presidency
* General Intelligence Presidency
* Military ranks

Economy|

* Agriculture
* Companies
* Capital Market Authority
* Council of Economic and Development Affairs
* Energy
* Oil reserves
* History of the oil industry
* Foreign workers
* Irrigation
* OPEC
* Riyal (currency)
* Saudi Central Bank
* Supreme Economic Council
* Tadawul (stock exchange)
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Transport
* rail

Society|

* Abortion
* Censorship
* Crime
* Demographics
* youth
* Discrimination
* Education
* libraries
* universities
* Health care
* Human trafficking
* Obesity
* Polygamy
* Prostitution
* Terrorism
* response to ISIL
* Water supply and sanitation

Culture|

* Art
* Visual arts
* Cinema
* Cuisine
* Language
* Media
* television
* Music
* Public holidays
* Religion
* Islam
* Sport
* football
* Theatre
* Heritage

Symbols|

* Anthem
* Dance
* Emblem
* Flag
* Motto

* Outline
* Index

* Category
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

Flags of the Arab States

* Algeria
* Bahrain
* Comoros
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Iraq
* Jordan
* Kuwait
* Lebanon
* Libya
* Mauritania
* Morocco
* Oman
* Palestine1
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic1
* Somalia
* Somaliland1
* Sudan
* Syria
* Tunisia
* United Arab Emirates
* Yemen

* 1 partially unrecognized

* v
* t
* e

Flags of Asia

Sovereign states|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus
* Egypt
* Georgia
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Russia
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste (East Timor)
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

States with
limited recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Northern Cyprus
* Palestine
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan

Dependencies and
other territories|

* British Indian Ocean Territory
* Christmas Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
* Hong Kong
* Macau

* Category
* Asia portal

* v
* t
* e

National flags and coats of arms

National flags|

* Sovereign states
* Dependent territories
* Timeline

National coats of arms|

* Sovereign states
* Dependent territories

Heraldry portal

* v
* t
* e

Lists of flags

* Master list
* Reference list

State-related|

* African derivative
* Arab states
* Christian
* Civil flag
* Country
* Date of Adoption
* Heads of state
* Historical flags
* Former sovereign states
* Formerly independent
* Timeline
* By year
* Islamic
* State flag
* State flags and ensigns
* Sovereign
* Special and fictional
* Unrecognized

| Mobile military|

* Armed Forces
* Army and Ground Forces
* Air Forces
* Air Forces Roundels
* Air Forces Fin Flashes
* Maritime
* Ministry of Defense
* Naval ensigns
* Naval Jack

|

Mobile civil service|

* Border and Coast Guard Forces
* Police Flag

Mobile civilian|

* Civil air
* Civil and Merchant Navy
* Civil ensign
* House flag
* Pilot boat flags and ensigns
* Yacht flags and ensigns

Other entities|

* Capitals
* Cultural
* Dependent territories
* Ethnic
* International Organizations
* Micronations
* Olympics and the Paralympics
* Pride flags
* Proposals
* Religious

By design
(National)|

| By elements|

* Animals
* Astronomical
* Bicolor
* Borders
* British ensigns
* Buildings
* Canton
* Circles
* Color
* by number
* by combination
* Crescents
* Crosses
* Cross of Trier
* Nordic
* Saints banners
* Saints' crosses
* Devices
* Diamonds
* Flags
* Geographical
* Headgear
* Inscriptions
* Arabic
* English
* Latin
* Russian
* Spanish
* Keys
* Maps
* Nautical
* Plants
* People
* Quartered
* Solids
* Stars
* Trees
* Triangles
* Tribands
* Two-sided
* Watercraft
* Weapons

|

By shape|

* Non-quadrilateral
* Proportions

By nations|

| Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Governorates
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* counties
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe
* Rhodesia

|

Antarctica|

* Adélie Land
* Argentine Antarctica
* Australian Antarctic Territory
* British Antarctic Territory
* Chilean Antarctic Territory
* Peter I Island
* Queen Maud Land
* Ross Dependency

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Hong Kong
* Macau
* Cyprus
* Egypt
* Georgia
* India
* states
* armed forces
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* prefectures
* municipalities
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Korea
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Philippines
* provinces
* coastwise emblem
* Qatar
* Russia
* federal subjects
* Sakha
* Russian Navy
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Soviet Union
* republics
* Soviet Navy
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Taiwan
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Europe|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Austria
* states
* Austria-Hungary
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Brussels
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* regions
* communes
* Brittany
* Corsica
* Île-de-France
* Occitanie
* Pays de la Loire
* French Empire
* Georgia
* Germany
* states
* districts
* municipalities
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* regions
* Kazakhstan
* Kosovo
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* royal standards
* provinces
* municipalities
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* naval and maritime
* voivodeships
* Portugal
* personal standards
* municipalities
* Romania
* Russia
* federal subjects
* Sakha
* Russian Navy
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Soviet Union
* republics
* Soviet Navy
* Spain
* autonomous communities
* provinces
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* cantons
* municipalities
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* oblasts
* United Kingdom
* England
* Cornwall
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales
* cities, towns and villages
* British Empire
* Vatican City/Holy See
* Yugoslavia

North America|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Canada
* lieutenant governors
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic
* El Salvador
* Grenada
* Guatemala
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* states
* municipalities
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States
* states and territories
* ensigns
* jacks
* armed forces
* Puerto Rico
* CSA

Oceania|

* Australia
* state governors
* Christmas Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
* Norfolk Island
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* states
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

South America|

* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Suriname
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Names in italics indicate non-sovereign (dependent) territories, disputed states and/or former countries.
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template