Kuwait’s national flag has three horizontal bands of green, white and red with a black trapezoid at the hoist. The design uses the four Pan-Arab colors and was adopted after independence in 1961.

What does the Kuwait flag look like?

The upper stripe is green, the middle stripe white and the lower stripe red. A black trapezoid extends from the hoist across the ends of all three bands.

What do the colors mean?

The colors come from the wider Arab nationalist tradition and are often linked with a line of poetry describing green lands, white deeds, red swords and black battles. They also connect Kuwait visually with other Arab states.

History of the flag

Kuwait adopted the present design on September 7, 1961, a few months after the end of the British protectorate. It replaced earlier red flags used by the ruling Al Sabah family.

Kuwait flag facts

• Adopted: September 7, 1961
• Colors: green, white, red and black
• Color family: Pan-Arab
• Hoist shape: black trapezoid