Saudi Arabia's flag features the shahada in white Arabic calligraphy above a horizontal sword on a green field. Because the inscription is sacred, the flag has special handling rules.
The design
The Flag of Saudi Arabia 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, 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. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
Green represents Islam; the inscription is the shahada (Islamic declaration of faith): 'There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.' The sword represents the House of Saud.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Saudi Arabia — 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 1973. Earlier banners flown by Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia 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 | Saudi Arabia | — |
| Continent | Asia | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | SA | 2-letter code |
| ISO alpha-3 | SAU | 3-letter code |
| Adopted | 1973 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | Green, White | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | 🇸🇦 | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The flag is sewn double-sided so the sacred inscription always reads correctly from both sides — and it is never flown at half-mast as that would disrespect the shahada.
