The Flag of Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia National Day 2021

Author: Salman Ali

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also known as the ‘Land of the two Holy Mosques’ as the two sacred mosques (Al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah) are located in the Kingdom. The majority population of Saudi Arabia follows Islam and its principles. The flag of Saudi Arabia represents the testimony of faith that is Islam with its colour code as well as messaging.

The Saudi Arabian flag is primarily green in colour with Shahada in Arabic text and a sword below it, all in white. The sword lies in a horizontal position representing the House of Saud, the ancestry that’s been ruling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since its existence. The Arabic text mentioned in Arabic is as follows:

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Pronunciation:??il?ha?ill?-ll?h, muhammadun ras?lu-ll?h

Translation: There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’.

Meaning of the Saudi Flag

To understand the Meaning of Saudi Flag, let’s look at the flag design and detailing. The flag has only two colors – white and green, where green is the dominant colour. The colour green represents presence of the religion of Islam in the country. Also, its widely believed was the favourite colour of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. The sword in the flag symbolizes justice and the strength and power of Saudi Arabia.

The solid green color on the flag came into existence with Wahhabi, a reformist movement of the 18th Century. It was the religious revolution that helped the Al Saud family rise to power. In the year 1902, the sultanates of Riyadh formed a third Saudi state and adopted a green flag with white vertical stripes and white Arabic calligraphy. It was later that Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud added the sword in 1921 when he became the Sultan of Nejd’s. He was the first sovereign ruler in Saudi Arabia, and the one who found Saudi Arabia by uniting the four regions that make up the Kingdom. The current version of the flag that we see took a long time to be standardized. Though the sword was added in 1921, there were periods when it was not a part of the flag and then was added again. But it was only in the year 1973, that the current design was finalized. The Saudi national flag has not seen any changes since then.

Making and Hoisting the National Flag

On the Occasion of Saudi National Day 2021, the flag is unfurled at many important places. Also, the citizens make flags at home as well. However, the Saudi flag needs to be made quite carefully. A few things that must be kept in mind while making the Saudi flag are:

  1. The width and the height must be in the ratio of 3:2.

  1. The Arabic text must be read correctly when viewed from either side.

  1. The sword must always point left in the direction of the script.

  1. The estimated shade of the official flag is Pantone 330 C.

  1. The flag must be hoisted to the left of the flagpole.

The flag of Saudi Arabia is designed in a way that it invokes the feelings of pride, patriotism, and the unity of all Muslims. However, one must be aware of important rules regarding carrying or unfurling the national flag. The Saudi laws refrain from using the national flag as an apparel. Regarding hoisting the flag, as per the Saudi legislation, citizens cannot hoist the flag vertically. It must be hoisted to the left of the pole. Also, the flag is never to be hoisted half- mast as its considered disrespect to the Almighty.