Saudi Arabia flag

The flag of Saudi Arabia was adopted, in its current form, on March 15, 1973, although it has been used since 1932. It is green and in the center displays an inscription in Arabic, with Thuluth script, from the shahada or profession of faith (one of the five pillars of Islam), which says:

أعا محلههCION أعا الله منحدة رد رtóسأوله الله

(A)llāh, Muhammadun rasūlu (A)llāh

“There is no god but Allah, [and] Mohammed is his prophet. ”

Under this inscription there is a sword in a horizontal arrangement underlining the text, which symbolizes the victory of Ibn Saud. The green color of the flag is the traditional color of Islam and is believed to come from the color of the cloak worn by the Prophet Muhammad.

Use of the flag

As this phrase is considered sacred, the flag should not be used on t-shirts and other items. Saudi Arabia protested the inclusion of the flag on the soccer ball that FIFA was preparing with the flags of all participants in the 2006 Soccer World Cup, since they considered it unacceptable to stamp the phrase with their feet. Likewise, as it contains the “Word of God,” the Saudi flag never flies at half-mast as a sign of mourning.

Green flags with this, or other inscriptions, are frequently seen in the Islamic world, and should not be confused with the flag of Saudi Arabia. Normally these other flags do not carry the sword. In addition, the Saudi flag has the inscription and the sword on both sides, so that the shahada can be read correctly at all times.

Other flags

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  Flag of the Saudi Arabian merchant marine

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  Flag of the Saudi Navy

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  Saudi Arabian Pavilion

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  Real Standard

Historical flags

The predecessor states of present-day Saudi Arabia were Neyed and Hejaz. The Néjed flag was the one that was largely based on to create the flag of the Saudi kingdom. The flag of the Hijaz served as inspiration for the flags of Jordan, Sudan and Palestine. The crescent has been present on the Saudi flags since approximately 1744.^{[citation required]} From 1902 to 1921, different Arab mottos were added to the flag. One of the main opponents of the Saudi dynasty was the Al Rashid family, based in the north of the Arabian Peninsula, until they were defeated in 1921.

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  The Black Standard was one of the flags used by the Orthodox Caliphate and the Abbasid Caliphate

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  The white flag was used by the Omeya Caliphate and the Fatimid Caliphate

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  Green flag used by the Fatimid Caliphate

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  The yellow flag was the royal banner of the Fatimid caliph and the state flag of the Ayyubid Caliphate, which conquered what is now Hiyaz.

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  This flag was used by the Mamluk Sultanate, who inherited Hiyaz from the Ayubids (1250-1517)

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  Flag of the Emirate of Diriyah from 1744 to 1818, flag of the Emirate of Néyed from 1822 to 1891 and the flag of the Emirate of Riyadh from 1902 to 1913

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  Flag of the Néyed from 1744 to 1902.

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  Flag of the Néyed from 1902 to 1921.

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  Flag of the Idrisid Emirate of Asir from 1909 to 1927

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  Flag of the Emirate of Riyadh from 1902 to 1913

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  Flag of the Emirate of Néyed and Hasa from 1913 to 1921

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  Flag of the Néyed from 1921 to 1926, inspired by the current Saudi flag. It was also the official flag from 1938 to 1973.

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  Flag of the Néyed from 1926 to 1932, with white edge and without sword.

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  This flag was used by the Ottoman Empire and correspondingly by the Ottoman Hiyaz and Ottoman Arabia from 1844 to 1916. The Ottomans captured Hiyaz de los Mamelucos in 1517.

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  Flag of the Emirate of Yabal Shammar, from 1835 to 1920.

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  Flag of the Emirate of Yabal Shammar, 1920-1921

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  Provisional flag of the Hiyaz, 1916-1917.

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  Flag of the Sheikh of the High Asir from 1916 to 1920

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  Flag of the Hiyaz from 1917 to 1920, based on the flag of the Arab Rebellion.

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  Hiyaz flag from 1920 to 1926 and this flag was also used by the Sharifian Caliphate from 1924 to 1925, before Hiyaz joined Néyed to form a union

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  Flag of the Hiyaz from 1926 to 1932.

The Al Saud (the royal family of Saudi Arabia) have been closely associated with the Wahhabi religious movement. Since the 18th century, the Wahhabis have used the shahada on their flags. In 1902 Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al-Saud, leader of The house of Al Saud added a sword to this flag. The design of the flag would not be standardized until March 15, 1973. Before that date, variants with 2 swords and/or a white vertical stripe next to the flagpole were they used frequently. By 1938, the flag had assumed its modern form, excluding the sword (which had a different design and a more curved blade) and the shahada (which took up more space).

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  Flag from 1932 to 1934, with a white vertical strip next to the top

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  Flag from 1934 to 1938, with the same strip, thinner

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  Flag from 1938 to 1973