Qatar’s flag is maroon with a broad white hoist band separated by a serrated line of nine points. The serration commemorates Qatar joining as the ninth member of the ‘reconciled emirates’ after treaty arrangements; maroon reflects historic dyeing traditions and heraldic usage; white denotes peace. The current shade and geometry were standardised in the twentieth century and entrenched by law. Ratio is commonly 11:28, producing a long, easily recognised fly. Statutes govern respectful display, half‑masting, maritime use, commercial depiction, and penalties for misuse.
The national flag of the State of Qatar is among the world’s most distinctive for both its unusual proportion and its serrated divide. A deep maroon field, elongated toward the fly, is separated from a broad white hoist band by a serrated line of nine points. The composition reflects both treaty history in the Gulf and the peninsula’s material culture.
Colour and Dye Tradition The maroon derives historically from red vegetable and cochineal dyes that darkened in intense sunlight, creating a characteristic hue associated with Gulf banners. Over time, as chemical dyes and flags for sea use became common, Qatar retained a deep shade as a heritage marker. Modern standards specify the maroon in Pantone and textile equivalents to ensure uniformity.
Serration and the Number Nine The serrated line separating the white hoist band from the maroon field bears nine points. Qatari sources explain this as commemorating Qatar’s admission as the ninth reconciled emirate under British treaty arrangements in the early twentieth century, a political milestone in the consolidation of local rule and external relations. The serration also improves recognition at sea and at distance, an important consideration for a trading peninsula.
Standardisation and Proportion By the mid‑twentieth century, Qatar promulgated guidance on the flag’s dimensions, settling on an elongated ratio—commonly noted as 11:28—that produces a long fly and gives the serration visual space. The white hoist band occupies a prescribed fraction of the width; the nine triangular points are equal in depth and spacing, with the maroon penetrating the white by exact measures. Variants for vertical hanging preserve the tooth count and symmetry.
Symbolism White is conventionally read as peace and good faith; maroon evokes endurance, history, and the sacrifices of the people. The serration signifies differentiation from neighbouring flags and a particular constitutional journey marked by treaty, reconciliation, and state formation. While popular accounts sometimes ascribe additional meanings, official communications emphasise these core themes and the precise geometry that gives the flag its identity.
Protocol
and Legal Controls Statutes and circulars regulate respectful use: the flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset unless illuminated; it must not touch the ground or be used as clothing or drapery; damaged flags are retired with dignity. Precedence rules cover display with foreign flags, placement on governmental vehicles, and arrangements on stages and in chambers. Half‑masting follows government order in periods of mourning, with procedures for lowering and re‑raising. Misuse, commercial misrepresentation, or desecration attract penalties.
Domestic and International Use Government buildings, schools, embassies, and sporting delegations display the national flag according to detailed instructions on size and positioning. On National Day and during major events, large flags are flown from tall masts where the elongated ratio is most striking. At sea, merchant vessels use the national ensign; courtesy flags and consular protocols follow international practice. Procurement guidelines ensure serration accuracy and colourfast materials in the peninsula’s climate.
Continuity
and Recognition The modern form—white hoist band, maroon fly, nine serrations—has remained stable across the state’s rapid development in the late twentieth and early twenty‑first centuries. Its singular proportions make the banner instantly recognisable alongside neighbouring flags in the Gulf. Through precise legal specification and consistent protocol, the flag unites historical narrative, treaty memory, and contemporary sovereignty in a coherent national standard.