Біріккен Араб Әмірліктерінің Туларының Тарихы мен Мағынасы

National flag

The flag of the United Arab Emirates (علم دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة) contains the Pan Arab colors red, green, white, and black. It was designed in 1971 by Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, who was 19 years old at that time, and was adopted on 2 December 1971 after winning a nationwide flag design contest. The main theme of the flag's four colors is the sovereignty and unity of the Arab states. Merchant ships may fly the alternative civil ensign, a red flag with the national flag in the canton. Emirates Airlines uses the UAE flag as part of their livery. All seven emirates use the federal flag interchangeably as the flag of the emirate.

The flag of Abu Dhabi is a red flag with a white rectangle at the top left corner. According to the 1820 General Maritime Treaty with the British, in times of war a full red flag would be used by the Bani Yas (Abu Dhabi and Dubai). Although per the treaty, Abu Dhabi was supposed to fly the White Pierced Red Trucial States flag, in practice it continued to fly a plain red flag. Percy Cox, the British Colonial Office administrator in the Middle East, was unsuccessful in convincing Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan to adopt the Trucial States flag, which, Zayed argued, represented the Al Qawasim tribal federation. Abu Dhabi later adopted a red flag with a top left white rectangle to distinguish it from the surrounding emirates.

The flags of Ajman and Dubai are identical. They are both plain red with a white bar at the hoist, i. e. closest to the flag staff. The flag is known as the White Red Halved and was adopted as an alternative to the Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah White Pierced Red by the Emirate of Dubai and Ajman to distinguish their authority from the Al Qawasim in defiance of the bonds of the 1820 General Maritime Treaty with the British. To the British, this flag was titled as Trucial Coast Flag No.1 and Abu Dhabi and Umm Al Quwain were also expected to adopt it. According to the treaty, in times of war a full red flag would be used by the Bani Yas (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) and a full white flag by Ajman. The Shihuh of Musandam Peninsula (Ruus Al Jibal) also had a similar flag.

Before 1952, the flag of Fujairah was plain red. Fujairah did not sign the general treaty in 1820 with the British and therefore continued using its red plain flag. To the British, this flag was titled as Trucial Coast Flag No. 2.

The flag of Umm Al Quwain consists of a red background, a white bar at the hoist similar the flags of Ajman and Dubai, and a large white star and crescent in the center, a symbol of Islam representing allegiance to the Islamic world.