History of the UAE flag: Discover its deep-rooted meaning in the Emirati culture and its significance

Rana AbdelRahman
Published 12 months ago on 13 May, 2023-519 views
History of the UAE flag

History of the UAE flag is very unique, and significant in many ways. Over time, it goes through a lot of modifications. The United Arab Emirates has historically been dominated by other great civilizations, and they have not always been together. From antiquity, the flags representing this region’s inhabitants have changed, but in 1971 they finally adopted a banner for themselves. Know more about the history of the UAE flag and its interesting story.


Specifications of the flag

Before talking about the history of the UAE flag, let’s have a look on it’s specifiations:

ShapeRectangular
LengthTwice width
colorsFour colors: red, green, white, and black
History of the UAE flag: First usage of the flagSecond December 1971
First to hoist the FlagThe late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
The occasion for hoisting the FlagDeclaration of the UAE Federation
Flag DesignerMr. Abdulla Mohammed Al Ma’enah, State Minister to the UAE Foreign Ministry.

uae flag emoji

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1f1e6 1f1ea

History of the UAE Flag facts

The United Arab Emirates national emblem
The United Arab Emirates national emblem

The United Arab Emirates was formed when Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah, and Ajman—six of the sheikhdoms, or geographical areas, ruled by tribal leaders known as sheiks—joined forces. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al-Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah, issued an order on November 6, 1975, to remove the British-imposed White Pierced Red flag in order to restore respect to Sharjah’s citizens.

The people had, up until that point, been compelled to salute the flag of the invaders who had taken their flag away. The federation flag was officially accepted as the new national flag of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah—three of the present-day seven Emirates—on Nov 15, 1975

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The United Arab Emirates’ national emblem – History of the uae flag

The United Arab Emirates’ national emblem is a golden Quraish Hawk surrounded by a red circle with a white Arab sailboat and seven white stars. It was first used in 1973.


Who created the flag for the UAE?

The history of the UAE flag started when Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, who was 19 at the time, designed the UAE flag. His design was one of many that were vying to be adopted as the official logo of the nation’s union. He recognized the significance of the UAE flag and worked extremely hard to win the contest.
A verse from a poem by the poet Safi-Uddin Al Hali that compares our actions to white, plains to green, conflicts to dark, and swords to red served as inspiration for the designer. The founding father of the UAE, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, chose his design. Afterward, Abdulla rose to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs.

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Description of the UAE flag

The United Arab Emirates flag history
The United Arab Emirates flag history

The dimensions, design, and colors of the flag all accurately represent what it represents to the United Arab Emirates. We’ll look at the many colors and what they each represent. The final flag was created using the Pan-Arab colors of red, green, white, and black. The four-color design consists of three red bands that are vertical and three horizontal stripes.

Shape and design – history of the UAE flag

The United Arab Emirates national flag is rectangular and has the colors red, green, white, and black. It is divided into four rectangles by a length that is twice as long as wide. The first quarter of the flag, which is red and hangs closest to the pole, has a width that is one-fourth of its length. The final three pieces of the flag, which consist of three parallel horizontal rectangles, make up the remaining space.

The tallest rectangle has a black bottom, a white center, and a predominately green top. Each hue covers a rectangular shape, and when combined, they create a shape resembling the letter “E.” The top horizontal of the letter “E” is green, the middle horizontal is white, and the bottom horizontal is black. The vertical portion of the letter “E” is red.

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UAE flag colors meaning

The design of the UAE flag, particularly the colors used, was directly influenced by its history. The flag is a representation of UAE inhabitants and the ideals that have made the country so great, including success, pride, dignity, safety, and happiness. While flying it, place the green stripe on top and the red stripe closest to the pole. A quick explanation of the United Arab Emirates flag’s color meaning follows:

  • RED

The crimson in the flag’s vertical red stripe, which stands for “together in unity,” is a symbol of power, tenacity, boldness, bravery, and courage. It stands for the sacrifices made by earlier generations who built the Union’s foundation.

  • GREEN

UAE flag green color meaning: the nation’s wealth and represents the nation’s natural riches, and agricultural tradition.

  • WHITE

The color white in the United Arab Emirates flag stands for harmony and the nation’s humanitarian efforts to maintain peace and love

  • BLACK

uae flag black color meaning: strength and courage. It displays the fortitude of the United Arab Emirates civilians as well as their opposition to injustice and extremism.

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Why do we celebrate the UAE flag day?

uae flag day
uae flag day

To commemorate His Highness Sheikh Khalifa ben Zayed Al Nahyan’s election as president of the United Arab Emirates, Flag Day is observed. On UAE Flag Day, the nation’s flag is celebrated. Since the day’s inception in 2013, His Highness Shaikh Muhammad ben Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s prime minister and ruler of Dubai, has observed it on the third of November. On this day in 2004, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was inaugurated as the leader of the United Arab Emirates.


FAQ

What is the story behind the UAE flag?

Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, who was 19 at the time, was the one who first designed the UAE flag. His design was one of many that were vying to be adopted as the official logo of the nation’s union.

What was the flag of the UAE before?

The emblem of the UAE was a golden hawk that has a circular red shield in front with seven stars and a white Arab sailboat.

What is a fact about the UAE flag?

A verse from a poem by the poet Safi-Uddin Al Hali that compares our actions to white, plains to green, conflicts to dark, and swords to red served as inspiration for the designer.

What does UAE flag color represent?

Red: power, Green: wealth, White: peace, black: courage.

when was the uae flag designed?

It was designed in 1971.


The history of the uae flag is so inspiring just as many aspects in the UAE history.

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