Flag of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's flag is green with the Islamic declaration of faith written in white Arabic letters, and a white sword underneath.
At a glance
- Adopted
- March 15, 1973the design had essentially its present form by the 1930s; it was standardised by decree on 15 March 1973
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Riyadh
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- green
- white
What it means
- Green: Islam
- White writing: the shahada: "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God"
- Sword: safety and justice
Where it came from
Since the 1700s, followers of the religious teacher Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab used flags with the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith. In 1921 the ruler Abdulaziz Al Saud added a sword. By 1938 the flag looked almost the same as today.
History
The kingdom grew out of the lands of Nejd and Hejaz. For many years the details of the flag were not fixed, and the sword was drawn in different ways, sometimes curved. A decree on 15 March 1973 standardised the design, and rules from 1984 set the exact shape of the sword. Saudi Arabia marks Flag Day on 11 March.
Fun facts
- The flag is never flown at half-mast, even in times of mourning, because it carries the words of the shahada.
- It is made so that the writing reads correctly from both sides.
- The sword points toward the left, the same way Arabic is read, from right to left.
- Because the words are holy, the flag is not normally printed on T-shirts or souvenirs.
- Saudi Arabia's emblem, adopted in 1950, shows two crossed swords and a palm tree.
- Special vertical versions of the flag exist, but they are rare.
Easy to mix up with
Pakistan: Pakistan is also dark green, but has a white crescent and star and a white stripe at the hoist
Questions
What does the flag of Saudi Arabia look like?
Saudi Arabia's flag is green with the Islamic declaration of faith written in white Arabic letters, and a white sword underneath.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Saudi Arabia mean?
Green: Islam; White writing: the shahada: "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God"; Sword: safety and justice.
When was the flag of Saudi Arabia adopted?
The current flag of Saudi Arabia was adopted on March 15, 1973. (the design had essentially its present form by the 1930s; it was standardised by decree on 15 March 1973)
What colours are on the flag of Saudi Arabia?
The flag of Saudi Arabia uses green and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Saudi Arabia?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Pakistan. Pakistan is also dark green, but has a white crescent and star and a white stripe at the hoist
Famous landmarks in Saudi Arabia
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)