The National Flag

When Kuwait gained full independence in 1961, the government decided to replace the old flag with a new design. This was promulgated by a law issued on September 7, 1961, some provisions of which were amended on November 18, 1961. The first Article stipulated that Kuwait’s national flag should consist of a horizontal rectangle which is twice as long as it is wide.

This is divided into three equal horizontal stripes: the top one being green, the middle white and the bottom red; with the side next to the flag pole forming the base of a black trapezoid protruding into the stripes. The colours of the flag are derived from a poem by Safie Al-Deen Al-Hali

The words of his poem denote:

White for our work
Black for our struggles
Green for our spring homes
Red for our past.

The National Emblem

The emblem of Kuwait consisted of ‘a helmet with a falcon and two intersecting flags over it’ until the middle of 1963, when the Council of Ministers decided to replace it with a new one. The present emblem of Kuwait is a falcon with outspread wings embracing a dhow (boom) sailing on blue and white waves. It is a symbol of Kuwait’s maritime tradition.