United Arab Emirates flag

United Arab Emirates flag
	; ;
Vexillological symbol :	?
Aspect ratio:	1: 2
Officially accepted:	2nd December 1971

The flag of the United Arab Emirates was adopted on December 2, 1971, the founding day of the United Arab Emirates (Federal Law No. (2) / 1971 of 4th Dhu l-qaʿda 1391 AH).

Meaning and structure

The flag contains the pan-Arab colors red, green, white, and black, which symbolize Arab unity. They represent the Arab dynasties of the Umayyads (white), the Abbasids (black) and the Fatimids (green). Red stands for the Sherif of Mecca and was led by King Hussein himself during the Arab uprising of 1917.

The three horizontal stripes are equally wide. The red stripe is 3: 9 wide in relation to the length of the horizontal stripes.

The colors also stand for the earlier individual flags and rulers, i.e. for history (red), for the fertility of the country (green), peace and neutrality (white), as well as for oil, the 'black gold' and thus for Prosperity (black).

More Union flags

Flagpole in Dubai

The Emirates have an alternate trade flag. It is red with the national flag in the jack.

The flag of the president corresponds to the national flag, but also has the coat of arms of the United Arab Emirates in the center .

1: 2 ^?Alternative trade flag

1: 2 flag of the President

history

Until 1820, all later members of the Union were protectorates of Great Britain . As a treaty coast , they carried a square flag with a red square on a white square called white pierced red .

Until 1971, the contracting states used a red, white and red, horizontally divided flag with a green, seven-pointed star in the center, the shape of which has never been determined and has therefore been handed down in different forms. When Bahrain and Qatar were members, the star is said to have been nine-radiated (1968 to 1971).

As with all flags with the pan-Arab colors, the Arab Revolution flag served as a model for today's flag .

2: 3 ^?^?Flag of the contracting states until 1971

^?Arab revolution flag

Flags of the Emirates

The individual emirates use red and white or red flags, which are based on the model of the flag of Bahrain from 1820. An exception is Fujairah, which flies the same flag as the United Arab Emirates. Between 1902 and 1975 it used the pure red flag of Muscat , after 1952 with the country name in white Arabic script. From 1952, ships of Fujairah used a red flag with a white border. The old red flag with a white border from 1820 is still used today by Ra's al-Khaimah and Sharjah , but now with an aspect ratio of 1: 2, like the other flags of the country.