Qatar’s flag - the symbol of pride and dignity - with its purple-red
(maroon) and white, stimulates our enthusiasm and dignity. It inspires our admiration for the
history of this country and the glories of its people connecting our present to our past, and instills in us the sense of belonging and loyalty to our great country.
This flag has a unique story and a long history behind its current form, which is engraved in our hearts and memories. To unveil its secrets, we will take you on a journey through history to explore the story of this flag.
“Ladaam” means to the Qataris, since ancient times, dark red color,which is the color of the banner of the founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, may God rest his soul.
The Qatari flag, with its unique maroon color, fascinated ancient civilizations whose cultural heritage still considers it a symbol of prestige and dignity. This glorious color places Qatar’s flag among the most outstanding flags in the world, particularly among the Arab countries, which share with Qatar the same religion, neighborhood and descent, however, most of them have the red, not the maroon, color in their flags.
The maroon color dates back to the third millennium BC, and it has been associated with the Phoenicians (descended from the Canaanites) in the Arabian Peninsula. The word Phoenician was derived from the Greek word "Phoenix", which means maroon people. The Bin Ghannam Island, which lies near AlKhor, only 40 kilometers from Doha, was the source of this red dye. Affected by the scorching desert sunlight, the reddish dye dried up to turn to purplish red color (maroon).
Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani envisaged early the need to unify the Qataris under one banner, and proposed adopting the purplish red color as it best suited their history and environment. After consultation, all Qataris were convinced by the proposal to adopt the flag, added the name of Qatar on it, and called their unified flag "Alada’am". Perhaps the raising of a unified flag for the first time inspired young Qataris, headed at that time by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani the dream of establishing the State.
In April of 1932, the British Navy decided that Qatar should have its own flag. It was proposed that the new Qatari flag be in red color, but with nine points (Qatar was the 9th member in Trucial Coast Convention). Qatar, however, refused the use of the red color, and replaced it with the maroon color, being a symbol of its pride throughout history. The nine points were kept with the addition of diamonds with purplish red color separating each point, and also adding the name of Qatar in white color on the maroon background.
In 1960, the ruler of Qatar at the time, Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani made a slight change on the flag, keeping the white and purplish red colors, as well as the serrated points, but removing the word Qatar and the diamonds. Since then, Qatar has been flying the current flag.
The maroon color of the Qatari flag comes, therefore, in line with Qatar's history, environment, and civilization, hence the keenness of the Qatari people to keep it.
In 1971, Qatar joined the United Nations, in the wake of the abolition of British Protection, and the Qatari flag with its maroon and white colors was raised.
An e-copy of the national flag is available to the public.
Law No.14 of 2012 concerning the Qatari flag, determines the flag’s color, technical specifications, and protocol, in line with the State constitution.
The Qatari flag (Al Adaam) will continue to fly high in the sky as a symbol of our pride, dignity and freedom.
Central Municipal Council
National Day
Accessibility
