The United Arab Emirates flag has a vertical red band at the hoist and three horizontal bands of green, white and black. It was adopted when the federation was formed in 1971.

What does the UAE flag look like?

Red fills the entire hoist edge. The fly is divided horizontally into green at the top, white in the middle and black at the bottom.

What do the colors mean?

The flag uses the four Pan-Arab colors. Modern Emirati explanations commonly associate green with growth and prosperity, white with peace and generosity, black with strength, and red with courage, unity and sacrifice.

Who designed the flag?

Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah designed the winning entry in a national competition. The flag was raised on December 2, 1971 when the United Arab Emirates was established.

UAE flag facts

• Adopted: December 2, 1971
• Designer: Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah
• Colors: red, green, white and black
• Color family: Pan-Arab