Dubai: A nation's flag is a true reflection of its honoured history and occupies an essential position in the constitution of the country while symbolising its pride and endurance.
The dignified flag or Alam — as pronounced in Arabic — of the United Arab Emirates mirrors the prolific journey of its federation that has enriched the entire infrastructure of the seven emirates.
It also highlights crucial pillars that the country is built upon, such as religion, social values and principles, natural resources and the protocols of its regime.
UAE's flag was officially revealed right after the formation of the country on December 2, 1971.
It consists of four colours, each depicting an element of the country's identity.
The colours, however, vary according to the source of importance which has played a vital role in building the country and shaping its position.
For instance, red, green, white and black are substantial colours and all stand for the Arab patriotic spirit.
The Emirati flag is divided into four segments. A vertical red stripe graces the flag while the rest of the stripes are horizontal. The top stripe is green, the middle white while the stripe at the bottom is black.
Every detail of the flag indicates a certain quality; perhaps the most obvious being the unity that combines all seven emirates.
It branches through colours to accentuate the essentiality of its vision.
The colours were carefully selected to convey meaningful messages.
The colour green symbolises two fundamental meanings. Green is the colour of Islam which is the religion of the UAE. Green also denotes the power of nature.
White symbolises the social values that the country adopts which thrive on tolerance and purity.
Black indicates the oil wealth that the country is blessed with.
Red summarises a number of signs that perceived in strength and pride.
In 2007 the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi had launched the 50,000 square foot that was considered the largest flag in the world to celebrate the 36th National Day of the country.
Throughout history the falcon has been the symbol of courage and sport of kings for Arabs and therefore it was officially endorsed to represent the coat of arms of the United Arab Emirates that was formally adopted in 1973.
The falcon had a red disk which manifests an Arab sail boat; the disk is surrounded by a chain while the falcon holds with its talons, a red parchment bearing the name of the federation.
But on March 22, 2008, the coat of arms was modified by the UAE Cabinet and approved by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The core change was that the Arab sailboat was replaced by the UAE flag along with seven stars that represent the seven emirates of the federation.
