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General UAE Legal Questions LawFederal Law No. (2) of 1971 Concerning the Union Flag

UAE Federal Law·Federal Law No. (2) of 1971

قانون اتحادي بشأن علم الاتحاد

Authoritative Arabic version per the official UAE Legislation portal

Issued Date
December 21, 1971
Effective from
December 21, 1971
Articles
4
Last synced
Sep 14, 2026
Download PDFOfficial source

Plain-language summary

  • Establishes the official design and specifications of the UAE national flag.
  • Sets rules for how and where the flag must be displayed by government entities.
  • Protects the flag from misuse, damage, or disrespectful treatment.
  • Applies to all federal institutions and public organizations in the UAE.
  • Defines penalties for improper handling or desecration of the flag.

Synced from the official UAE Legislation portal · Plain-language summary by the LEXAI editorial team

Article-level text

Key Articles

4 articles

  1. 1

    Article 1

    Article (1) The flag of the United Arab Emirates shall have the following form, size and colors: Rectangle in which its length is double its width, divided into four rectangular sections, the first one is red which forms the flag side near the flag pole which its length is which the flag width which equals quarter of the flag length; the other three sections form the rest of the flag, they are horizontal, equal and parallel, the higher one is green; the medium is until and the lower is black.

  2. 2

    Article 2

    Article (2) Subject to the provisions of Article (1) of this Law, the approved specification related to the Union’s Flag, its pole, rules of raising it, and the conditions of printing, distributing, and using it shall be determined pursuant to a Cabinet Resolution.

  3. 3

    Article 3

    Article (3) Without prejudice to any more severe penalty stipulated in any other law, whoever publicly, in public venues, or places available for public, commits any of the following shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of not less than (10) ten years and not exceeding

    -- 1 of 2 --

    Federal Law No. (2) of 1971 Concerning the Union Flag 2 (25) twenty-five years, and a fine not less than (500,000) five hundred thousand dirhams: 1. Drops, damages, or offends the Union’s Flag in any manner. 2. Drops, damages, or offends – in any manner – the flag of any the Emirates members of the Union, the flag of the Cooperative Council for Gulf Arab States, or the flag of any of the other states. Clause (1) of this Article shall be considered as a crime against the State’s security.

  4. 4

    Article 4

    Article (4) This law shall be promulgated in the official gazette and shall be in effect as of date of issuance thereof. Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the United Arab Emirates. Issued in President Palace in Abu Dhabi: Dated: 4 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1391 H. Corresponding to: 21 December 1971 AD.

    -- 2 of 2 --

Note: The Arabic text of this legislation is the authoritative version as per the official UAE Legislation portal.

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