Flag of Saudi Arabia

The flag of Saudi Arabia is green and carries a religious phrase written in white, with a sword below it. It is one of the few national flags with text, and that text decides how it is made, how it is hoisted and where it may be used.

How it came about

The phrase is the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith: ‘There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God’. Since the 18th century, the followers of the preacher Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, allies of the Al Saud family, carried it on green flags.

In the early 20th century, Abdulaziz Al Saud, who would go on to found the kingdom in 1932, added a sword. For decades different versions coexisted: with one sword or with two, with a white stripe next to the flagpole or without it. The king approved the design as a symbol of the country on 11 March 1937, but the exact drawing was not fixed by law until 15 March 1973.

How it has changed

The elements have been the same for more than a century. What has changed is the drawing.

1. 18th century

   The followers of the Wahhabi movement use green flags with the declaration of faith written in white.

2. Early 20th century

   Abdulaziz Al Saud adds a sword. Variants with two swords or with a white stripe next to the flagpole circulate.

3. 

   1938-1973

   The flag already looks like the current one, but the text covers almost the whole cloth and the sword is a curved sabre.

4. 

   1973

   A royal decree fixes the design: the text is made smaller and the sabre is replaced by a straight sword.

What it means

Every element of the flag has a religious or historical meaning:

• Green

  the colour traditionally associated with Islam.

• Inscription

  the shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith, written in a style of Arabic calligraphy called thuluth.

• Sword

  strength and justice. It also recalls Abdulaziz Al Saud, who unified the country.

Fun facts

1. It is never flown at half mast

   The basic law of the country expressly forbids it: lowering a flag that carries the declaration of faith would be considered a lack of respect. That is why it is not used as a sign of mourning.

2. It reads well on both sides

   The law obliges it to be made with two layers of cloth, so that the phrase can be read correctly, from right to left, on both sides. The sword always points in the direction of reading, which is why in the drawings the flagpole usually ends up on the right.

3. It never touches the grass

   At the 2026 football World Cup, before each match giant flags of the two teams were spread out on the ground. The Saudi one was held high, so that the text would not touch the ground.

4. It has its own day

   Since 2023, every 11 March is Flag Day, in memory of the day in 1937 when King Abdulaziz approved its design.

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