The Pan-Arab colors are

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

and red. Individually, each of the four Pan-Arab colors were intended to represent a certain aspect of the Arabs and their history. The black represents the

Black Standard The Black Banner or Black Standard ( ar, الراية السوداء, ar-rāyat as-sawdāʾ, also known as (, "banner of the eagle" or simply as , , "the banner") is one of the flags flown by the Islamic prophet Muhammad according to Muslim ...

used by the

Rashidun Caliphate The Rashidun Caliphate ( ar, اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ, al-Khilāfah ar-Rāšidah) was the first caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the first four successive caliphs of Muhammad after his ...

and the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttal ...

, while white was the dynastic color of the

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...

. Green is a color associated with the primary religion of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

– and therefore also a color representative of the

. Green is also identified as the color of the

Fatimid Caliphate The Fatimid Caliphate was an Ismaili Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. The Fatimids, a ...

by some modern sources, but that is not correct: their dynastic color was white. Finally, red was the

Hashemite The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (1921� ...

dynastic color. The four colors also derived their potency from a verse by 14th century Arab poet

Safi al-Din al-Hilli Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Ḥillī ( ar, صفي الدين الحلي; 26 August 1278 – 1349), more fully known as Safi al-Din Abd al-Aziz ibn Saraya al-Hilli, al-Ṭāʾī al-Sinbisī, Abu ’l-Maḥāsin, was a 14th century Arab poet. Life Despit ...

: "White are our acts, black our battles, green our fields, and red our swords." Pan-Arab colors, used individually in the past, were first combined in 1916 in the

flag of the Arab Revolt The flag of the Arab Revolt, also known as the flag of Hejaz, was a flag used by the Arab nationalists during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and as the first flag of the Kingdom of Hejaz. History It has been sug ...

or Flag of Hejaz, designed by the British diplomat Sir

Mark Sykes Colonel Sir Tatton Benvenuto Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet (16 March 1879 – 16 February 1919) was an English traveller, Conservative Party politician, and diplomatic advisor, particularly with regard to the Middle East at the time of the First Wo ...

. Many current flags are based on Arab Revolt colors, such as the flags of

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...

, Palestine, the

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (; SADR; also romanized with Saharawi; ar, الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية ' es, República Árabe Saharaui Democrática), also known as Western Sahara, is a ...

, and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...

. In the 1950s, a subset of the Pan-Arab colors, the Arab Liberation colors, came to prominence. These consist of a tricolor of red, white and black bands, with green given less prominence or not included. The ''Arab Liberation tricolor'' or the ''Arab Liberation Flag'' was mainly inspired by the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and Egypt's official flag under president Mohamed Naguib.M. Naguib, ''Egypt's Destiny'', 1955 which became the basis for the current flags of

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

and

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...

(and formerly in the flags of the rival states of North Yemen and

South Yemen South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...

), and in the short-lived Arab unions of the

United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...

and the Federation of Arab Republics.

Current flags with Pan-Arab colors

UN member and observer states

File:Flag of Egypt.svg,

File:Flag of Iraq.svg,

File:Flag of Jordan.svg,

File:Flag of Kuwait.svg,

File:Flag of Libya.svg,

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

File:Flag of Palestine.svg,

State of Palestine Palestine ( ar, فلسطين, Filasṭīn), officially the State of Palestine ( ar, دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn, label=none), is a state located in Western Asia. Officially governed by the Palestine Liberation Organization ( ...

File:Flag of Sudan.svg,

File:Flag of Syria.svg,

File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg,

File:Flag of Yemen.svg,

Unrecognized and partially recognized states

File:Flag of Somaliland.svg,

Republic of Somaliland Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''List of states with limited recognition, de facto'' sovereign s ...

File:Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg,

First-level administrative divisions

File:Governadorat de Faium.png, Faiyum Governorate, Egypt File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg, Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

Former national flags with the Pan-Arab colors

File:Flag of Hejaz 1917.svg,

Hejaz The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Prov ...

(1917–20),Kingdom of Hejaz 1915–1925
Crwflags.com OET Administration (1918–20),Historical Flags Overview (Syria)
Crwflags.com Palestine File:Flag of Kingdom of Syria (1920-03-08 to 1920-07-24).svg,

– File:Flag of Hejaz 1920.svg,

(1920–26) and Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd (1926-1932), Transjordan (1921–28) File:Flag of Iraq 1924.svg,

(1921–59) File:Flag of the Emirate of Transjordan.svg, Transjordan (1928–39)Historical Flags (Jordan)
Crwflags.com File:Syria-flag 1932-58 1961-63.svg,

and , used currently (2011 onwards) by the

Syrian Interim Government The Syrian Interim Government ''(SIG)'' is an alternative government in Syria, formed by the umbrella opposition group, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. The interim government indirectly controls some areas ...

and the

Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the govern ...

File:Flag of Egypt (1952-1958).svg,

(1952–1958, File:Flag of the Arab Federation.svg,

Arab Federation The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived country that was formed in 1958 from the union between the Hashemite Kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan. Although the name implies a federal structure, it was ''de facto'' a confederation. The Federatio ...

of Jordan and Iraq – File:Flag of the United Arab Republic.svg, (1958–61), File:Flag of Iraq 1959-1963.svg,

(1959–63) File:Flag of North Yemen.svg, North Yemen (1962–90) File:Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg,

(1963–91)Evolution of the Iraqi Flag, 1963–2008
Crwflags.com File:Flag of Syria (1963-1972, 1-2).svg,

（1963-72） File:Flag of Palestine - short triangle.svg, Palestine (1964–2006)Historical Flags (Palestine)
, Crwflags.com File:Flag of Arab Republic of Hadhramaut.svg, Flag of

Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ar, حَضْرَمَوْتُ \ حَضْرَمُوتُ, Ḥaḍramawt / Ḥaḍramūt; Hadramautic: 𐩢𐩳𐩧𐩣𐩩, ''Ḥḍrmt'') is a region in South Arabia, comprising eastern Yemen, parts of western Oman and southern Saud ...

(1967–69) File:Flag of South Yemen.svg,

(1967–90), used currently (2007 onwards) by the

South Yemen Movement The Southern Movement ( ''al-Ḥirāk al-Janūbiyy''), sometimes known as the Southern Separatist Movement, or South Yemen Movement, or Aden Movement, and colloquially known as al-Hirak, is a political movement and paramilitary organization act ...

File:Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg,

(1969–72) File:Flag of Egypt 1972.svg, Federation of Arab Republics
File:Flag of Lower Yafa.svg, Lower Yafa
File:Mahraflag.svg,

Mahra Sultanate The Mahra Sultanate, known in its later years as the Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra ( ar, الدولة المهرية للبر وسقطرى ') or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra ( ar, سلطنة المهرة في الغيض� ...

(1895–1967) File:Drapeau de la République Arabe Islamique (Union tuniso-libyenne).svg,

Arab Islamic Republic The Arab Islamic Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية الإسلامية ') was a proposed unification of Tunisia and Libya in 1974, agreed upon by Libyan head of state Muammar Gaddafi and Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba. Additi ...

(proposed 1974, File:Flag of Iraq, 1991-2004.svg,

(1991–2004) File:Flag of Iraq (2004-2008).svg, Iraq (2004–08)

Flags of Arab political and paramilitary movements using Pan-Arab colors

File:Flag of al-Mountada al-Adabi.svg, Flag of Ottoman era Istanbul-based autonomist File:Sdsdsd.svg, Flag of Ottoman era autonomist File:Flag of the Ba'ath Party.svg, Flag of the

Ba'ath Party The Arab Socialist Baʿath Party ( ar, حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي ' ) was a political party founded in Syria by Mishel ʿAflaq, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Bītār, and associates of Zaki al-ʾArsūzī. The party espoused ...

(1947–present), also used by the

National Democratic Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf The National Democratic Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf ( ar, الجبهة الوطنية الديمقراطية لتحرير عمان والخليج العربي, abbreviated NDFLOAG) was a guerrilla movement in the Arabian ...

(active 1969–71) File:Flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf.svg, Flag of the National Liberation Front of Yemen (1963–78), the Dhofar Liberation Front (1965–68), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf (1968–74) File:Flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman.svg, Flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (1974–92) File:Flag of Arabistan.svg, Flag used by Arab separatists and autonomists in

Khuzestan Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it cover ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Al-Ahwaz (Khuzestan) Political Organizations (Iran)
on crwflags.com File:Flag of Al-Ahwaz.svg, Flag used by the separatist organizations the National Council of Ahwaz and the National Liberation Movement of Ahwaz in

File:Flag of the Arab Movement of Azawad.svg, Flag of the

Arab Movement of Azawad The Arab Movement of Azawad ( ar, الحركة العربية الأزوادية, french: link=no, Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad; MAA) is an Arab military organization active in Azawad/northern Mali. Initially known as the National Liberation Fron ...

(2012–present) File:Al-Quds flag.svg, Flag of Arab Jerusalem File:Flag of the Syrian Salvation Government.svg, Flag of the

Syrian Salvation Government The Syrian Salvation Government () is a de facto alternative government of the Syrian opposition in Idlib Governorate, formed in early November 2017. There followed weeks of conflict between the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) and the Syrian I ...

File:Red flag.svg, Red dynastic color, used by the Hashemites (The Prophet of

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...

) File:Umayyad Flag.svg, White dynastic color, used by Umayyads (661–750) and the

Fatimids The Fatimid Caliphate was an Isma'ilism, Ismaili Shia Islam, Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the ea ...

(909–1171) and the

File:Black flag.svg,

used by the

Abbasids The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

(750–1258)The

Abbasid Revolution The Abbasid Revolution, also called the Movement of the Men of the Black Raiment, was the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE), the second of the four major Caliphates in early Islamic history, by the third, the Abbasid Calipha ...

against the

adopted black for its ''rāyaʾ'' for which their partisans were called the 's. and the

File:Rectangular green flag.svg, Green, associated with the

References

External links

Pan-Arab colors

by Dr. Mahdi Abdul-Hadi (in Arabic) {{Vexillology Arab nationalist symbols Color schemes Flags by colour Colors Colors, Pan-Arab Color in culture