When Kuwait gained
full independence in 1961, the government decided to replace
the old flag with a new design. This was promulgated by a
law issued on September 7, 1961, some provisions of which
were amended on November 18, 1961. The first Article stipulated
that Kuwait’s national flag should consist of a horizontal
rectangle which is twice as long as it is wide.
This is divided into
three equal horizontal stripes: the top one being green, the
middle white and the bottom red; with the side next to the
flag pole forming the base of a black trapezoid protruding
into the stripes. The colours of the flag are derived from
a poem by Safie Al-Deen Al-Hali. The words of his poem denote:
White for our work
Black for our struggles
Green for our spring homes
Red for our past.
The National Emblem
The emblem of Kuwait consisted of 'a helmet with a falcon
and two intersecting flags over it' until the middle of 1963,
when the Council of Ministers decided to replace it with a
new one. The present emblem of Kuwait is a falcon with outspread
wings embracing a dhow (boom) sailing on blue and white waves.
It is a symbol of Kuwait’s maritime tradition.
