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Saudi Arabia: History of the flag

Last modified: 2001-08-02 by ivan sache
Keywords: shahada | wahhabi | sword | swords: 2 | nejd |
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The origin of the flag of Saudi Arabia

The "base flag" of Saudi Arabia, the shahada or profession of faith ("There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet") on solid green was an old flag, connected to the Wahhabi reformist movement of the late 18th century, with whose religious drive the as-Saud family first rose to power.
The sword was added in 1902, when Abdulaziz ibn Abdulrahman as-Saud ("Ibn Saud" to the British) established himself as King of the Nejd. (The King of the Hejaz, Hussein, used the Arab Revolt Flag).
In 1925, Abdulaziz established himself as King of the Nejd and Hejaz, with unknown flag alterations.

When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established in 1932, the earlier Nejdi flag continued, though variants are shown with two swords, with a white stripe toward the hoist, etc.

Ed Haynes, 14 March 1996


One or two swords?

I have found a picture of a flag of Saudi Arabia. On it, under the shahada, two swords crossed, both pointing downwards. On today's flag of Saudi Arabia, there is only one sword, horizontal, and pointing upwards.

Goren M. Shaked, 25 April 1996

The Sept. 1934 National Geographic [geo34] includes a black and white photo of the Saudi Arabian flag with one sword. The caption under the picture reads:

"King Ibn Saud's army carried this flag in its desert conquests...When the powerful King of Saudi Arabia visited Germany two years ago [i.e., 1932], this flag was [used] in his honor by the officials of Tem