UAE flag picture
Explore the proportions, adoption history, and picture gallery.
| National design | Union FlagNational flag of the United Arab Emirates. |
|---|---|
| Composition | Red hoist · green · white · blackThree equal horizontal bands beside the full-height red band. |
| Proportions | Height:length = 1:2Red occupies one quarter of the length. |
| Adopted | December 2, 1971First raised when the federation was established. |
| Designer | Abdulla Mohammed Al MaainahSelected through the pre-union design competition. |
| Visible color areas | One quarter eachDifferent rectangle shapes, equal areas. |
| Annual Flag Day | November 3A distinct commemoration introduced in 2013. |
| Main image sizes | SVG and PNG: 9,000 × 4,500Complete flag; opaque RGB PNG. |
The ordinary national flag has no emblem, star, crescent, or inscription.
What does the UAE flag look like?
The UAE flag combines a vertical red band at the hoist with three equal horizontal bands of green, white, and black toward the fly. Its height:length ratio is 1:2. Red occupies one quarter of the length, and each of the four colors covers one quarter of the total area.
The red rectangle runs through the full height, while green, white, and black continue across the remaining length from top to bottom. There is no star, crescent, inscription, or coat of arms on the ordinary national flag. The downloadable master keeps all four regions intact. Labeled pictures explain proportions and history without placing captions inside the clean design.
What is the UAE flag called?
The UAE flag is the national flag of the United Arab Emirates. The federal flag law calls it the Union Flag, emphasizing the federation represented by the design. UAE is the familiar English abbreviation for the country, while Emirati describes its national identity rather than a different flag.
Use the full country name when a picture appears without its surrounding article. “Union Flag” has a specific Emirati meaning in federal legislation; adding United Arab Emirates prevents confusion with other flags described by that general term.
The national flag represents the federation as a whole. Article 5 of the Constitution also allows the individual emirates to have flags for use within their territories. A local flag and the national flag therefore belong to different levels of identity, even when both appear at the same event.
What are the UAE flag colors and digital values?
The four colors are green, white, black, and red. This edition uses green #00843D, white #FFFFFF, black #000000, and red #C8102E, matching the visibly printed HEX labels in the 2023 UAE Flag Guidelines and the preserved reference SVG. These screen values do not certify a physical fabric or ink.
The Government Media Office’s web guide lists white as RGB 225, 225, 225, which differs from the 2023 PDF’s white HEX value. The PDF also labels black as Pantone Black 6C, while the web page says Black C. This package follows the printed PDF palette and records those differences.
The PDF’s extracted red text reverses its first and last letters; visual inspection confirms #C8102E. The supplied files therefore retain the reference’s actual red without a color substitution. For production, use the applicable approved physical specification and a proof; screen RGB, Pantone labels, and printed ink are not interchangeable guarantees.
| Color | HEX | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Green | #00843D | 0, 132, 61 |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 |
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 |
| Red | #C8102E | 200, 16, 46 |
What does the UAE flag symbolize?
The flag expresses the unity and identity of the United Arab Emirates. The official guide associates green with growth and prosperity, white with giving and peace, black with strength and rejection of injustice, and red with sacrifice. These associations explain the colors without assigning one region of the flag to each emirate.
The whole composition carries the national identity. Its four colors should be understood together, rather than as four administrative units or four founding rulers. The federation has seven emirates, and the design does not provide a separate stripe, star, or numbered mark for each of them.
The designer’s poetic inspiration explains the origin of an idea; the modern guide explains its current presentation. These complementary accounts do not require adding an emblem or changing the arrangement of the national flag.
What does the red band represent?
The 2023 official guide links red to the sacrifices of the generation that established the union and of the nation’s martyrs. In the design, red forms the full-height rectangle beside the pole. Its horizontal width is one quarter of the flag’s length, not one third of the complete rectangle.
The red region connects visually with all three horizontal bands. On the 12 by 6 construction grid, it occupies the first three units of length and all six units of height. That makes its area eighteen square units, equal to the visible area of each other color.
When reproducing a front view, place this band on the viewer’s left. A picture photographed from the other side of a flag may show it on the right. That difference concerns viewpoint, so identify the attachment edge before deciding whether a photograph has been reversed or incorrectly displayed.
What does green mean on the UAE flag?
Green is the top horizontal band in the normal landscape view. The official guide associates it with growth, prosperity, a green environment, and cultural development. The supplied artwork uses #00843D. Green extends from the red band to the fly edge and occupies one third of the flag’s height.
The green rectangle is long and shallow, contrasting with the tall red rectangle beside it. Both nevertheless have the same area. This is a useful example of why equal colored areas do not require equal shapes or equal measurements along every side of a design.
Keep green above white and black in a standard front view. Reversing green and black changes the composition even when all four colors remain present. Check placement and proportion alongside digital values; a color inventory alone cannot detect that error.
What does white mean on the UAE flag?
White is the middle horizontal band, between green and black. The official guide connects it with giving and the country’s support for peace and security. In this edition it is opaque #FFFFFF, not transparency. It occupies one third of the height across the portion to the right of red.
A white region can disappear visually against a white webpage if the surrounding flag edges are not obvious. An external frame or a contrasting page background can make the rectangle easier to see. Such presentation devices belong outside the national artwork and should not become an extra stripe.
The downloadable PNG contains actual white pixels throughout this band. Placing it on a colored slide will therefore preserve the intended white area. An exporter that treats white as a removable background would alter the flag, so transparency settings should be checked before a graphic is reused.
What does black mean on the UAE flag?
Black is the bottom horizontal band in the standard view. The 2023 guide associates it with strength, determination, and rejection of injustice and extremism. It is not identified there as a symbol of oil. The supplied digital master uses #000000 and preserves the same band height as green and white.
An economic association can sound plausible without being the documented explanation of a flag color. Describing black simply as petroleum would replace the official account with an unsupported shortcut. A useful caption should identify both the visible position of the band and the interpretation actually supported by the guide.
In the reference SVG, the black rectangle inherits the default black fill. The master preserves that appearance explicitly within its drawing wrapper. This technical detail matters because a page-wide style should never recolor an otherwise unspecified shape and turn the lower band gray, green, or another unintended color.
Why are these called Pan-Arab colors?
Red, green, white, and black are widely known as the Pan-Arab colors because they recur across Arab national flags. The UAE uses that shared palette in its own distinctive arrangement. Dubai’s official protocol account connects the designer’s inspiration to a poem by Safi al-Din al-Hilli describing deeds, fields, battles, and swords.
The poetic account associates white with deeds, green with fields, black with battles, and red with swords. It explains an inspiration for the design rather than providing a modern technical color chart. Transliteration of the poet’s name varies in English, but the underlying reference is the same.
Shared colors do not make neighboring national flags interchangeable. Identification depends on how the colors are arranged, the shape beside the pole, and any additional symbols. For the UAE, remember the full-height red rectangle beside three horizontal bands; there is no triangle, trapezoid, or star in that position.
What are the official UAE flag proportions?
The national flag is twice as long as it is high, giving a height:length ratio of 1:2. The red hoist band occupies one quarter of that length. Each remaining horizontal band is one third of the height. The supplied master measures 9,000 by 4,500 pixels while preserving all these relationships.
Write the order of a ratio whenever dimensions might be misunderstood. Height:length 1:2 and length:height 2:1 describe the same landscape rectangle. A two-meter-long flag following this proportion is one meter high, with a red band half a meter wide and three bands each one third of a meter high.
Changing only one dimension stretches the design. A square thumbnail should therefore contain the complete flag with space around it, rather than forcing the national rectangle into a square. The same principle applies to slides, gallery tiles, and social cards that have their own surrounding layout dimensions.
How are the four rectangles arranged?
Use a 12 by 6 grid measured from the upper-left corner. Red occupies x = 0 to 3 through the full height. Green, white, and black occupy x = 3 to 12, with vertical ranges 0–2, 2–4, and 4–6 respectively. These four visible rectangles completely fill the flag.
The construction uses a top-origin coordinate system: horizontal values increase toward the right, and vertical values increase downward. This convention matches common screen graphics. The table gives visible regions, which are easier to compare with the finished flag than the overlapping rectangles used internally by some vector files.
To obtain master coordinates, multiply every native coordinate by 750. The red boundary then falls at x = 2,250, while the horizontal divisions fall at y = 1,500 and y = 3,000. Adjacent regions meet exactly, without a gap, outline, rounded corner, or decorative border between them.
| Color | x | y | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Green | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| White | 3 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| Black | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
Does each color occupy the same area?
Yes. Each of the four colors covers exactly one quarter of the flag’s visible area. Red uses one quarter of the length and the full height. Each horizontal band uses the remaining three quarters of the length and one third of the height, producing the same one-quarter area.
The calculation follows directly from the proportions: three quarters multiplied by one third equals one quarter. On a 12 by 6 grid the total area is seventy-two square units, and each color occupies eighteen. The rectangles have different shapes, but their visible areas are equal.
At the supplied raster size, the flag contains 40,500,000 pixels, with 10,125,000 pixels of each color. All division lines fall on whole-pixel boundaries at that size. Counting the final visible pixels is more meaningful than adding the areas of overlapping shapes inside the SVG, which would count covered regions twice.
How can the UAE flag be drawn accurately?
Draw a rectangle twice as long as it is high. Mark one quarter of its length from the hoist and fill that full-height region red. Divide the remaining rectangle into three equal horizontal bands, then fill them green, white, and black from top to bottom. No emblem or outline is added.
A 12 by 6 grid provides convenient whole-number measurements for all four visible regions. Draw the red boundary at three units, then place horizontal divisions at two and four units of height only across the remaining nine units. Construction guides may extend outside the flag for explanation.
Remove those guides from the final artwork. Check the complete rectangle at both large and small sizes, paying particular attention to the band order and the opaque white region. A plain vector should use flat fills; shadows, fabric folds, and highlights are optional illustration effects rather than elements of the design.
What is the history of the UAE flag?
The flag entered national use on December 2, 1971, when the United Arab Emirates was established. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan first raised it, and Abdulla Mohammed Al Maainah designed it. Federal Law No. 2 of 1971 followed on December 21, formally describing the flag and its regulation.
The design emerged from the period of negotiations that brought the emirates into a federation. An advertised competition supplied the selection process described by Dubai’s official protocol account. The national flag’s first raising belongs to the declaration of the new union, rather than to its later admission to international organizations.
The present legal reference includes later amendments, and the 2023 guide provides practical display instructions. Those later documents should not be mistaken for adoption of a different national design. A clear chronology distinguishes the first raising, the flag law, the seventh emirate’s accession, and subsequent guidance about use.
When was the UAE flag adopted?
The UAE flag was adopted and first raised on December 2, 1971, the day the federation was established. December 21, 1971 is the date of Federal Law No. 2 concerning the Union Flag. These are distinct milestones: the first national use came before that law’s issuance and commencement.
The law’s closing text dates its issuance to December 21, and Article 4 makes it effective from issuance. The official legislation portal also reports that date for both events. Its separate gazette-date field is inconsistent with that sequence, so the signed law supplies the date used here.
November 3 is Flag Day, while December 2 marks the federation’s establishment. December 9, 1971 concerns United Nations admission. Keeping these dates attached to their own events avoids three common errors: confusing a commemoration with adoption, confusing recognition with independence, or treating a later guide as a new flag.
Who designed the UAE flag?
Abdulla Mohammed Al Maainah designed the UAE flag for the competition held before the federation’s establishment. Dubai’s official protocol account describes about 1,030 submitted designs and six shortlisted entries. His inspiration included a poem by Safi al-Din al-Hilli. Historical design authorship is separate from authorship of a modern digital SVG.
English spellings of the designer’s name vary, including Al Ma’enah and Al Maeena. These forms should not be treated as different designers. The official account places the competition advertisement in Al Ittihad and describes its sponsorship by the Amiri Diwan in Abu Dhabi before the union was declared.
Wikimedia Commons contributors maintain the downloadable digital reference. Its credits distinguish that file history from the national design’s creator and GKBook’s explanatory diagrams, acknowledging each contribution without confusing historical design authorship with later digital reproduction.
Does the flag represent all seven emirates?
Yes. The national flag represents the United Arab Emirates as a federation of seven emirates. Six formed the union on December 2, 1971; Ras Al Khaimah joined on February 10, 1972. The flag has four colors, not seven individual emirate symbols, and its design does not assign one colored rectangle to each member.
The seven emirates are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah. Their collective identity is expressed by one national composition. A reader should therefore distinguish the number of member emirates from the number of colors or geometric regions in the flag.
The accession of the seventh emirate did not require adding a seventh star because the flag contains no stars at all. The four-color arrangement works as a common federal symbol without a running visual count of members. Individual emirate flags remain a separate subject under the constitutional framework.
What law defines the UAE national flag?
Federal Law No. 2 of 1971 concerning the Union Flag defines its geometry and colors in Article 1. Article 2 provides for Cabinet rules on specifications and use. Article 3 addresses public acts against flags. The official guide identifies the 2019 amendment, while the legislation portal supplies the consolidated text.
Article 5 of the Constitution establishes that the union has its own flag, emblem, and anthem, with the flag and emblem prescribed by law. The flag statute then supplies the specific rectangle and color arrangement. Practical guidance deals with matters such as display, handling, and appropriate reproductions.
The official English translation contains an apparent error in its middle-band wording. The Arabic text and the illustrated government guide clearly identify that band as white. The portal states that Arabic prevails for interpretation. The article therefore uses the verified design without reproducing the translation error as a color name.
When is UAE Flag Day?
UAE Flag Day is observed annually on November 3. The initiative was announced in 2013 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and commemorates the anniversary of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s accession as president. It is distinct from December 2, the anniversary of the federation’s establishment and the flag’s first raising.
The Cabinet’s account describes a national campaign inviting people and government bodies to raise the flag. Its original announcement also specifies a particular ceremony date and time for that year. Those historical arrangements should not be copied into a current event notice without checking the applicable announcement.
For an educational calendar, label November 3 as Flag Day and December 2 as the union anniversary. Both occasions involve the same national flag, but they commemorate different events. A celebration date does not alter the construction, color order, or meaning of the design used throughout the year.
When did the UAE receive international recognition?
The United States recognized the UAE on December 3, 1971, one day after independence. The United Nations admitted it on December 9, 1971 through General Assembly resolution 2794 (XXVI). U.S. diplomatic relations followed on March 20, 1972. These dates concern the state’s international relations rather than separate approvals of its flag.
The UN admission resolution records the decision at the Assembly’s 2007th plenary meeting. A separate declaration accepting Charter obligations was signed in Abu Dhabi on December 2 and presented to the Secretary-General on December 4. Those preparatory steps should not displace the actual December 9 membership date.
Recognition by one state and admission to an international organization are different actions. Neither means that every government recognized the UAE on the same day. A historical timeline should identify the actor and event for each entry, especially when several important dates fall within the first week of independence.
Is the Dubai flag the same as the UAE flag?
No. Dubai is one emirate within the United Arab Emirates, and its emirate flag is distinct from the federal national flag. The UAE flag has the red hoist band and green, white, and black horizontal bands. Article 5 of the Constitution recognizes separate emirate flags for use within their territories.
A photograph taken in Dubai may show the national flag, a local flag, or several flags together. Location alone does not identify which symbol is pictured. Read the complete design and the event caption before naming an image, particularly in collections where national and regional flags appear side by side.
The four-color master in this package is labeled United Arab Emirates throughout. It should not be renamed Dubai merely because a building or celebration associated with Dubai uses it. Keeping the federal name in filenames, alternative text, and captions makes the image easier to classify and reuse correctly.
Does the UAE national flag contain an emblem?
The ordinary UAE national flag contains no emblem, text, star, or crescent. The official guide distinguishes the presidential flag, which carries the federal emblem in the middle of the white band and is reserved for the president. Adding that emblem to an ordinary national download would change the variant being represented.
The national emblem and national flag are related state symbols, but they are not interchangeable images. A symbol displayed beside a flag on a government page does not automatically belong inside the flag itself. The clean master therefore retains only the four colored regions defined for the national design.
The gallery explains the presidential distinction in words rather than drawing an unverified emblem. This keeps the intended subject clear and avoids substituting a simplified badge for a detailed official symbol. A separate presidential-standard project would need its own source artwork, dimensions, and identification of the authorized variant.
How should the UAE flag be treated?
The official guide calls for respectful handling and a clean, undamaged flag. It should be checked before raising and after severe weather, replaced when torn or faded, and kept from touching the ground. When lowered, it should be collected and folded carefully. Half-mast display follows an official mourning announcement and applicable instructions.
Care begins before the ceremony. Check the cloth, attachments, and pole so that the flag can move freely without catching on nearby objects. A damaged edge can worsen quickly in wind. The guide’s emphasis on regular inspection connects the appearance of the national symbol with practical maintenance of the installation.
The 2023 guide advises suitable storage or recycling of withdrawn flags so their discarded pieces no longer form the flag, and discourages burning for environmental reasons. This is a specific handling account, not a reason to import a disposal ceremony from another country. Follow the responsible authority’s directions for the occasion.
How should the UAE flag be displayed horizontally?
In the standard horizontal front view, the red band is at the viewer’s left and green is above white and black. Keep the complete rectangle visible and preserve its 1:2 proportions. Official display guidance also addresses placement with other flags, so arrangements for ceremonies should follow the applicable government instructions.
The hoist is the edge attached to a pole, and the fly is the opposite free edge. These terms remain useful when the flag moves in wind or the observer changes position. On a flat front-view illustration, they correspond to the left and right edges respectively.
Leave enough surrounding space for the flag to be recognized without covering it with a caption, logo, or decorative object. If a layout requires explanatory labels, place them outside the national rectangle. The gallery follows that practice except where clearly identified construction guides are overlaid for study.
Can the UAE flag be used in advertising or logos?
The Government Media Office’s guidance restricts using the flag for commercial purposes, trademarks, and advertising. The 2023 guide also rejects altered flag shapes for logos and typography and inappropriate disposable or edible applications. A downloadable image or public-domain notice does not itself authorize a particular product, campaign, or use of the national symbol.
Copyright and national-symbol rules answer different questions. The first concerns rights in an image; the second concerns how the represented flag is used. An editable file is therefore a reproduction resource, not a declaration that every commercial treatment, promotional design, or piece of merchandise complies with the official guidance.
The supplied credits identify the reference’s public-domain notice and dedicate only GKBook’s original explanatory additions under CC0. They do not grant government permission or waive flag-use restrictions. For a proposed application, consult the current relevant instructions and responsible authority rather than relying solely on an image license or a download button.
How should the UAE flag hang vertically?
The 2023 official guide places red across the top for vertical display, with black, white, and green below it from the viewer’s left to right. This corresponds to rotating the standard front view ninety degrees clockwise. The whole composition turns together, preserving the relative dimensions and the full area of every color.
The vertical example is a rotation of the landscape flag, not a newly proportioned banner. Its outer shape becomes twice as high as it is wide. Red now occupies the top quarter of that height, while the remaining three colors form equally wide vertical bands beneath it.
A counterclockwise rotation would put red at the bottom and reverse the side-band order, so the direction matters. Do not rotate the colored bands independently or stretch the red region into a different proportion. The gallery’s tall view matches the orientation shown in the official guide’s vertical-display illustration.
What does the reverse of the UAE flag look like?
The reverse of an ordinary single-layer UAE flag is the horizontal mirror of its front. Red appears at the viewer’s right, while green remains above white and black. The physical hoist has not moved; the observer is looking from the opposite side. The gallery reflects the entire drawing to illustrate that difference.
A photograph of the reverse should not automatically be called an incorrect flag. Look for the pole, attachment points, and viewing direction. The standard downloadable front view places red on the left because that convention makes national flag diagrams consistent, but real cloth can naturally be seen from either side.
The comparison assumes an ordinary single layer whose colors show through or are reproduced on both sides. A specially assembled double-sided sign or banner may use a different production method. The diagram explains the geometry of changing viewpoint rather than prescribing every possible manufacturing arrangement for a physical display.
Is the UAE flag symmetrical?
The complete UAE flag has neither horizontal-axis nor vertical-axis symmetry, and it does not match itself after a half-turn. Although every colored region is rectangular, their colors and positions distinguish the sides. A horizontal flip moves red to the right; a vertical flip exchanges the green and black bands.
A half-turn makes both changes at once: red moves to the right, and black becomes the upper band. The result still has four equal colored areas and the same outer proportions, but it is not the standard front view. Area equality therefore does not imply symmetry of the whole design.
These comparisons are useful when checking files that have passed through presentation or image-editing software. A flipped image can retain its resolution, palette, and number of shapes while displaying the wrong orientation. Inspect the red attachment band and the order of the three horizontal colors before accepting an export.
What materials and finishes are suitable for a UAE flag?
The official guide describes suitable flag fabrics and emphasizes a clean, durable appearance with preserved colors. Material selection should reflect the display conditions and applicable specifications. The supplied SVG and PNG describe the flat national design; they do not certify a textile’s strength, colorfastness, fire performance, or suitability for a particular installation.
Outdoor exposure introduces wind, sunlight, and rain, while an indoor display may require a different weight or mounting method. A production decision should consider the pole and attachments as well as the cloth. The guide’s inspection and replacement advice remains relevant after an initially suitable flag has been installed.
Keep added hems, fittings, and presentation frames distinct from the colored face shown in the artwork. A photograph of fabric can include folds and highlights, but those effects should not be mistaken for additional official colors. For a clean educational reference, the flat vector makes the underlying design easiest to compare.
What UAE flag files and print sizes are supplied?
The clean flag is supplied as a scalable SVG and an opaque RGB PNG measuring 9,000 by 4,500 pixels. At 300 pixels per inch, the PNG corresponds to 30 by 15 inches. Twenty-three explanatory subjects accompany the master, each in SVG and PNG, plus a separate 1,200 by 630 social card.
Choose the clean master for a plain flag and the labeled pictures for instruction. Scale the full design uniformly, keep white opaque, and preserve the complete red edge. The vector can be resized without introducing pixel stair-steps, while the raster’s useful physical size depends on the chosen output resolution.
The social card contains a complete 540 by 270 flag face inside a wider editorial layout. Its text and surrounding frame are not part of the flag. A production proof is still needed to assess actual paper, ink, or cloth, and the intended use must separately respect the applicable national-symbol guidance.
Download UAE flag pictures
Download the complete national flag as SVG or 9,000 × 4,500 PNG. Its height:length ratio is 1:2. The red hoist band and all three horizontal bands remain intact. The four visible colors have equal areas, and the original reference vectors are preserved.
The gallery contains 24 subjects, each with an SVG and PNG. Captions distinguish the clean flag from construction guides, historical explanations, and geometric transformations. Image credits and reproduction notes identify the sources, palette, and scope of the original explanatory additions. The separate 1,200 × 630 social card contains a complete digital flag face measuring 540 × 270 units.
Continue exploring national designs in World Flags.
World Flags/UAE
UAE flag pictures
Complete national flag, height:length 1:2, with a red hoist band and green, white, and black horizontal bands. Each color covers one quarter of the visible area.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGGreen #00843D, white #FFFFFF, black #000000, and red #C8102E. The article explains differences in other published government color data.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe 2023 official guide connects each color with national values; the four regions are not one symbol per emirate.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGRed occupies the full height and one quarter of the length; the official guide associates it with sacrifice.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGGreen is the upper band in the standard landscape view; its area equals that of red, white, and black.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe master preserves an opaque white band, which remains white when placed on a colored background.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGBlack completes the lower edge of the flag; the digital fill is #000000.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGArticle 1 defines a rectangle twice as long as it is high, with the red band occupying one quarter of its length.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGFour visible rectangles partition the 12 by 6 grid. The underlying source uses overlapping fills but produces this exact visible layout.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGEach color occupies exactly one quarter of the visible flag; labels are added only in this explanatory picture.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGA 12 by 6 grid gives whole-number boundaries for all four visible regions. Grid lines are explanatory and excluded from the master.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGLater amendments and usage guidance do not mean that a new national flag was adopted in those years.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe national adoption date differs from the flag law, UN admission, and annual Flag Day.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe designer’s historical role is distinguished from the later production and maintenance of digital artwork.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe six founding emirates and Ras Al Khaimah’s later accession are separated clearly.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGFederal Law No. 2 of 1971 defines the design and regulatory framework. The consolidated text includes later changes.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGAnnual Flag Day and the December 2 union anniversary commemorate different events.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe U.S. historical record and the actual UN resolution establish separate international events.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGInspection, careful lowering, replacement, and officially directed mourning protect the national symbol.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe standard front view places the hoist on the left. Ceremonial arrangements with other flags require their applicable instructions.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe whole landscape flag is rotated clockwise; the resulting tall rectangle matches the 2023 guide’s vertical-display arrangement.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe second picture is a true horizontal reflection of the first, explaining an ordinary single-layer flag viewed from opposite sides.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGAn actual 180-degree rotation changes the flag’s orientation despite retaining its palette and equal areas.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGThe master’s raster dimensions support a 30 by 15 inch image at 300 pixels per inch; vector geometry can scale uniformly.
Reference SVG: Wikimedia Commons, public-domain notice for the UAE national flag; current revision Jarekt, April 17, 2025. Original GKBook explanatory additions: CC0 1.0.Download SVGDownload PNGFrequently asked questions
What does the UAE flag look like?
The UAE flag combines a vertical red band at the hoist with three equal horizontal bands of green, white, and black toward the fly. Its height:length ratio is 1:2. Red occupies one quarter of the length, and each of the four colors covers one quarter of the total area.
What is the UAE flag called?
The UAE flag is the national flag of the United Arab Emirates. The federal flag law calls it the Union Flag, emphasizing the federation represented by the design. UAE is the familiar English abbreviation for the country, while Emirati describes its national identity rather than a different flag.
What are the UAE flag colors and digital values?
The four colors are green, white, black, and red. This edition uses green #00843D, white #FFFFFF, black #000000, and red #C8102E, matching the visibly printed HEX labels in the 2023 UAE Flag Guidelines and the preserved reference SVG. These screen values do not certify a physical fabric or ink.
What does the UAE flag symbolize?
The flag expresses the unity and identity of the United Arab Emirates. The official guide associates green with growth and prosperity, white with giving and peace, black with strength and rejection of injustice, and red with sacrifice. These associations explain the colors without assigning one region of the flag to each emirate.
What does the red band represent?
The 2023 official guide links red to the sacrifices of the generation that established the union and of the nation’s martyrs. In the design, red forms the full-height rectangle beside the pole. Its horizontal width is one quarter of the flag’s length, not one third of the complete rectangle.
What does green mean on the UAE flag?
Green is the top horizontal band in the normal landscape view. The official guide associates it with growth, prosperity, a green environment, and cultural development. The supplied artwork uses #00843D. Green extends from the red band to the fly edge and occupies one third of the flag’s height.
What does white mean on the UAE flag?
White is the middle horizontal band, between green and black. The official guide connects it with giving and the country’s support for peace and security. In this edition it is opaque #FFFFFF, not transparency. It occupies one third of the height across the portion to the right of red.
What does black mean on the UAE flag?
Black is the bottom horizontal band in the standard view. The 2023 guide associates it with strength, determination, and rejection of injustice and extremism. It is not identified there as a symbol of oil. The supplied digital master uses #000000 and preserves the same band height as green and white.
Why are these called Pan-Arab colors?
Red, green, white, and black are widely known as the Pan-Arab colors because they recur across Arab national flags. The UAE uses that shared palette in its own distinctive arrangement. Dubai’s official protocol account connects the designer’s inspiration to a poem by Safi al-Din al-Hilli describing deeds, fields, battles, and swords.
What are the official UAE flag proportions?
The national flag is twice as long as it is high, giving a height:length ratio of 1:2. The red hoist band occupies one quarter of that length. Each remaining horizontal band is one third of the height. The supplied master measures 9,000 by 4,500 pixels while preserving all these relationships.
How are the four rectangles arranged?
Use a 12 by 6 grid measured from the upper-left corner. Red occupies x = 0 to 3 through the full height. Green, white, and black occupy x = 3 to 12, with vertical ranges 0–2, 2–4, and 4–6 respectively. These four visible rectangles completely fill the flag.
Does each color occupy the same area?
Yes. Each of the four colors covers exactly one quarter of the flag’s visible area. Red uses one quarter of the length and the full height. Each horizontal band uses the remaining three quarters of the length and one third of the height, producing the same one-quarter area.
How can the UAE flag be drawn accurately?
Draw a rectangle twice as long as it is high. Mark one quarter of its length from the hoist and fill that full-height region red. Divide the remaining rectangle into three equal horizontal bands, then fill them green, white, and black from top to bottom. No emblem or outline is added.
What is the history of the UAE flag?
The flag entered national use on December 2, 1971, when the United Arab Emirates was established. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan first raised it, and Abdulla Mohammed Al Maainah designed it. Federal Law No. 2 of 1971 followed on December 21, formally describing the flag and its regulation.
When was the UAE flag adopted?
The UAE flag was adopted and first raised on December 2, 1971, the day the federation was established. December 21, 1971 is the date of Federal Law No. 2 concerning the Union Flag. These are distinct milestones: the first national use came before that law’s issuance and commencement.
Who designed the UAE flag?
Abdulla Mohammed Al Maainah designed the UAE flag for the competition held before the federation’s establishment. Dubai’s official protocol account describes about 1,030 submitted designs and six shortlisted entries. His inspiration included a poem by Safi al-Din al-Hilli. Historical design authorship is separate from authorship of a modern digital SVG.
Does the flag represent all seven emirates?
Yes. The national flag represents the United Arab Emirates as a federation of seven emirates. Six formed the union on December 2, 1971; Ras Al Khaimah joined on February 10, 1972. The flag has four colors, not seven individual emirate symbols, and its design does not assign one colored rectangle to each member.
What law defines the UAE national flag?
Federal Law No. 2 of 1971 concerning the Union Flag defines its geometry and colors in Article 1. Article 2 provides for Cabinet rules on specifications and use. Article 3 addresses public acts against flags. The official guide identifies the 2019 amendment, while the legislation portal supplies the consolidated text.
When is UAE Flag Day?
UAE Flag Day is observed annually on November 3. The initiative was announced in 2013 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and commemorates the anniversary of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s accession as president. It is distinct from December 2, the anniversary of the federation’s establishment and the flag’s first raising.
When did the UAE receive international recognition?
The United States recognized the UAE on December 3, 1971, one day after independence. The United Nations admitted it on December 9, 1971 through General Assembly resolution 2794 (XXVI). U.S. diplomatic relations followed on March 20, 1972. These dates concern the state’s international relations rather than separate approvals of its flag.
Is the Dubai flag the same as the UAE flag?
No. Dubai is one emirate within the United Arab Emirates, and its emirate flag is distinct from the federal national flag. The UAE flag has the red hoist band and green, white, and black horizontal bands. Article 5 of the Constitution recognizes separate emirate flags for use within their territories.
Does the UAE national flag contain an emblem?
The ordinary UAE national flag contains no emblem, text, star, or crescent. The official guide distinguishes the presidential flag, which carries the federal emblem in the middle of the white band and is reserved for the president. Adding that emblem to an ordinary national download would change the variant being represented.
How should the UAE flag be treated?
The official guide calls for respectful handling and a clean, undamaged flag. It should be checked before raising and after severe weather, replaced when torn or faded, and kept from touching the ground. When lowered, it should be collected and folded carefully. Half-mast display follows an official mourning announcement and applicable instructions.
How should the UAE flag be displayed horizontally?
In the standard horizontal front view, the red band is at the viewer’s left and green is above white and black. Keep the complete rectangle visible and preserve its 1:2 proportions. Official display guidance also addresses placement with other flags, so arrangements for ceremonies should follow the applicable government instructions.
Can the UAE flag be used in advertising or logos?
The Government Media Office’s guidance restricts using the flag for commercial purposes, trademarks, and advertising. The 2023 guide also rejects altered flag shapes for logos and typography and inappropriate disposable or edible applications. A downloadable image or public-domain notice does not itself authorize a particular product, campaign, or use of the national symbol.
How should the UAE flag hang vertically?
The 2023 official guide places red across the top for vertical display, with black, white, and green below it from the viewer’s left to right. This corresponds to rotating the standard front view ninety degrees clockwise. The whole composition turns together, preserving the relative dimensions and the full area of every color.
What does the reverse of the UAE flag look like?
The reverse of an ordinary single-layer UAE flag is the horizontal mirror of its front. Red appears at the viewer’s right, while green remains above white and black. The physical hoist has not moved; the observer is looking from the opposite side. The gallery reflects the entire drawing to illustrate that difference.
Is the UAE flag symmetrical?
The complete UAE flag has neither horizontal-axis nor vertical-axis symmetry, and it does not match itself after a half-turn. Although every colored region is rectangular, their colors and positions distinguish the sides. A horizontal flip moves red to the right; a vertical flip exchanges the green and black bands.
What materials and finishes are suitable for a UAE flag?
The official guide describes suitable flag fabrics and emphasizes a clean, durable appearance with preserved colors. Material selection should reflect the display conditions and applicable specifications. The supplied SVG and PNG describe the flat national design; they do not certify a textile’s strength, colorfastness, fire performance, or suitability for a particular installation.
What UAE flag files and print sizes are supplied?
The clean flag is supplied as a scalable SVG and an opaque RGB PNG measuring 9,000 by 4,500 pixels. At 300 pixels per inch, the PNG corresponds to 30 by 15 inches. Twenty-three explanatory subjects accompany the master, each in SVG and PNG, plus a separate 1,200 by 630 social card.
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