^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Specifications and Construction Sheet (United Arab Emirates)

1:2 imageby Željko Heimer

Specifications
Mistaken Variant

See also:

United Arab Emirates

Specifications

According to The Flag Bulletin XVI, 3, the vertical (red) band in the United Arab Emirates flag is as wide as one half of the width [hoist] of the flag, or one quarter of the fly.
Jaume Ollé and Joseph McMillan, 5 March 2000

According to Album des Pavillons 2000 green-white-black tricolour with red hoist, width of the hoist stripe being 1/4 of the length.
Željko Heimer, 31 July 2001

The specification diagram and construction details are correct according to the Unionist Decision No. 4 of 1971 ("about the Flag of the Union") dated 2 December 1971 and Law No.(2) for the Year 1971 also entitled "about the Flag of the Union", issued by the President (Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nuhaian, ruler of Abu Dhabi) on 21 December 1971. Since the wording of both is more or less identical I will quote only the Law:

Article One.
The Flag of the State of the United Arab Emirates shall be of the following form, sizes and colours:-
A rectangle whose length is equal to double its width, and is divided into four rectangular-shaped divisions. The first division is coloured red, and forms the side of the flag nearest to the flagpole, its length equals the width of the flag and the length of its width equals one-quarter of the length of the flag. As for the other three divisions, they form the remainder of the flag and they are horizontal, equal and parallel, the upper is green, the middle is white and the lower is black."

The above translation is, as far as I can find out, unofficial, but (having also the original) I am assured by an Arabic speaker that it is accurate.
Christopher Southworth, 11 March 2004

Mistaken Variant

1:2 image by Željko Heimer

Some sources, among others Smith 1975 (but not Smith 1982 nor Crampton 1990f) give the width of the hoist red stripe being equal to the widths of the other three stripes. I do not think it goes for the change that happened eventually (gradually?) since 1971, but that these are only erroneous representations.
Željko Heimer, 31 July 2001