Flag of Oman

What the flag of Oman looks like

The flag of the Sultanate of Oman has three horizontal bands of equal height: white at the top, red in the middle and green at the bottom. A vertical red band runs down the hoist (the side nearest the pole) for the full height of the flag, so the red field wraps around the left side of the other bands.

In the upper part of the red band at the hoist is the national emblem, drawn in white. It shows a curved khanjar dagger in its sheath, lying over two crossed swords. The khanjar is a traditional Omani dagger worn at ceremonies, and the same emblem appears on the country's coat of arms. The sultan has his own standard, and the armed forces use ensigns that are based on the national flag. A flag emoji for Oman is also available.

Oman flag meaning and symbolism

The meanings usually given for the colors are:

• White for peace. White has also been associated historically with the Imam, the religious leader of Oman.
• Red for the battles fought by the Omani people, and as a reminder of the old red flag of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman.
• Green for the fertile land and for the Jebel Akhdar, the "Green Mountain" range in the north.

The emblem, a sheathed khanjar fastened over a pair of crossed swords, shows the traditional weapons of the Omani people. It dates from the 18th century, when it was adopted as the royal crest of the Al Bu Said dynasty. The meanings of the colors are traditional and are not set out in a legal definition, so different sources word them a little differently.

History of the Oman flag

For a long period the flag of Oman was a plain red banner, used by the sultans of Muscat and Oman. The plain red flag was used until 1970.

The big change came in 1970, when Sultan Qaboos bin Said took power from his father. He introduced a new national flag by royal decree on 17 December 1970: the plain red flag was modified by adding white and green bands, and the national emblem, the badge of the Al Bu Said dynasty, was placed in the canton. Between 1970 and 1995 the middle red band was slimmer than the other two.

On 25 April 1995 the proportions were changed from 3:4 to 1:2, and a royal decree of 22 May 2004 changed them again to 4:7, the version flown now. Oman celebrates its National Day on 18 November.

Flags that look like the Oman flag

Oman's flag shares white, red and green with several others, but few look close to it. The flag of the United Arab Emirates, the neighbor to the north, also has a red bar at the hoist, but its other bands are green, white and black and it has no emblem. The flag of Qatar is maroon and white. The Omani emblem and the red hoist band make the flag easy to tell apart.