The flag of the Arab League is the banner of the regional organisation founded in Cairo on 22 March 1945 to coordinate political, economic, and cultural cooperation between Arab states. The flag has been in use since the League's founding, with minor revisions to the calligraphy.
The design
The Flag of the Arab League is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses green, white, gold, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Green | green | Tends to evoke land, agriculture, hope, Islam or the natural environment. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
A green field bearing a golden chain of laurel leaves enclosing a white Arabic inscription "League of Arab States" (جامعة الدول العربية), with a golden crescent above. Green and the crescent are traditional colours of Islam; the chain represents the bonds between member states; the wreath represents peace and the Arab cultural heritage that predates the modern states.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of the Arab League — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1945. It is credited to Arab League founding committee, Cairo. Earlier banners flown by reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of the Arab League should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | — | |
| Continent | International | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1945 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | green, white, gold | — |
| Designer | Arab League founding committee, Cairo | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The League was founded with six members (Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, plus Yemen which joined within a month); membership now stretches from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.
About the organisation
AL was founded in 1945. Its headquarters are in Cairo, Egypt.
Member states
AL has 22 member states. Membership current as of 2024-01.
