🇸🇦 The colours of Saudi Arabia
7 meanings recorded, 1 colour tied to the country.
Saudi Arabia’s flag is green with white Arabic script and a sword. Green stands for Islam, while the sword is linked to justice and protection. The script is the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, which is considered sacred and shapes how the flag is used and displayed.
Where no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.
- The flag’s green is linked to Islam.
- The shahada is always readable from both sides.
- The flag is never flown at half-mast.
- The sword was added to the flag in 1921.
- The flag is not used on clothing or sports items.
The colours of the flag of Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Arabian flag features a green field with white Arabic calligraphy and a sword. The green is associated with Islam, a central element in the country’s identity. The sword beneath the script is said to symbolise justice and security. The script itself is the shahada, the Islamic creed, which is considered holy. Because of its religious significance, the flag is treated with special care and respect, and its use is restricted in certain contexts.
National colours of Saudi Arabia
Beyond the flag, green and white are the main colours representing Saudi Arabia. The Royal Standard adds a gold emblem in one corner. These colours appear in official settings and on state symbols, but the flag’s design and the shahada’s presence mean it is not used on everyday items or sportswear.
How the colours were chosen of Saudi Arabia
Earlier Saudi states used flags with the shahada, but the design changed over time. The sword was added in 1921 by Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and different versions with extra swords or stripes appeared. By 1938, the flag’s basic look was set, though the sword’s shape and the layout shifted. The current design became official in 1973, standardising the flag’s proportions and features.
Official shades and rules of Saudi Arabia
The flag’s green is officially specified, with Pantone 3425C or similar shades used in different contexts. The script and sword are drawn in white, and the flag’s ratio is 2:3. The shahada must be readable from both sides. The flag is never lowered to half-mast or allowed to touch the ground, and special versions are made for vertical display.
The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flag of Saudi Arabia", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
What colours mean in Saudi Arabia
Customs vary by region, faith and family; these are the meanings most often recorded.
Men wear a red and white checked headcloth, the shemagh, held by a black cord. The pattern is so tied to the kingdom that it reads as national dress.
Politics and protestPrideSource: KeffiyehThe flag is green with the Muslim declaration of faith and a sword in white. Because of the sacred text it is never flown at half mast.
Sacred and holyPolitics and protestPrideSource: Flag of Saudi ArabiaThe national football team plays in green and white and is called the Green Falcons. On National Day, 23 September, cities are lit in green.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: Saudi Arabia national football teamMen on the pilgrimage to Mecca wear ihram, two pieces of plain unstitched white cloth. Dressed alike, a king and a labourer cannot be told apart.
Sacred and holyPurity and peaceCalmSource: IhramThe everyday dress of Saudi men is the thobe, a long white robe. White cotton reflects the sun, and darker wool thobes come out in winter.
Protection and healingSource: ThawbThe Kaaba in Mecca is covered by the kiswah, a black silk cloth with verses of the Quran worked in gold and silver thread. A new one is made every year.
Sacred and holyAweSource: KiswahWomen traditionally wear the abaya, a loose black cloak, over their clothes in public. Coloured abayas have become more common in recent years.
Purity and peaceSource: AbayaColour and feeling in Saudi Arabia
The Qur'an describes the people of paradise dressed in green silk, and green is loved across the Muslim world as a colour of rest and blessing.
In Arabic a kind, sincere person without malice is said to have a 'white heart', qalb abyad.
In Arabic a shameful act 'blackens the face' and an honourable one 'whitens' it, images that also appear in the Qur'an.
Colours tied to Saudi Arabia
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Vert: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, source