Yemen’s flag (22 May 1990) is a horizontal tricolour of red, white, and black adopted upon unification of North and South Yemen. The Pan‑Arab palette recalls the Arab Revolt; red denotes revolution and unity; white a bright future and peace; black the past and steadfastness. Law sets a 2:3 ratio, colour references, protocol for state buildings and missions, half‑masting orders, and dignified retirement. Earlier northern and southern ensigns were retired at unification.
The Republic of Yemen’s national flag—red, white, and black in equal horizontal bands—was raised on 22 May 1990 to mark the unification of the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen). It situates Yemen within the Pan‑Arab tradition while signifying a specific constitutional moment.
Pre‑1990 Flags North Yemen’s post‑1962 republican flag used the red‑white‑black tricolour with a green star; South Yemen after 1967 flew the same tricolour with a light‑blue hoist triangle bearing a red star. These emblems expressed divergent revolutionary narratives. The 1990 unification treaty provided for a single national flag; subsequent legal texts retired prior ensigns from state use.
Adoption
and Specification The unified state adopted the tricolour at a proportion of 2:3, without central emblems, to emphasise equality and a new start. Government standards define dye and print references for the red, white, and black; diagrams specify band equality and orientation for vertical displays. Guidance covers uses at ministries, governorates, courts, schools, and diplomatic missions.
Symbolism Red is commonly read as the blood of martyrs and the energy of revolution; white denotes peace and a hopeful future; black evokes historical trials and steadfastness. Within the Pan‑Arab family of flags, Yemen’s plain tricolour is legible at distance and at sea, and it aligns the republic with wider Arab identity.
Protocol
and Legal Protection Rules mandate sunrise‑to‑sunset display (or illumination at night), prohibition on contact with the ground or water, dignified retirement of damaged flags, and precedence with foreign and military flags. Half‑masting follows presidential order during official mourning. Penalties exist for desecration or misuse, including unauthorised commercial exploitation.
Continuity
and Practice Despite political turbulence since the 1990s, the national flag has remained the state’s identifier at international organisations and in sport. Public education materials and procurement guidelines help prevent shade drift and improper proportions. On National Day and Unity Day, coordinated mast programmes and building‑scale banners underscore the flag’s unifying claim.
The Yemeni tricolour thus integrates Pan‑Arab colours with the legal and ceremonial infrastructure of a unified state, designed for clarity, dignity, and consistent reproduction across contexts.