Bahrain’s national flag has a red field and a white hoist band with five points facing the fly. The current design dates to 14 February 2002; its hoist-to-fly ratio is 3:5. The government flag guide relates the five points to the five pillars of Islam. [1]
Specification
The government guide describes a horizontal rectangle divided lengthwise into a white quarter and a dark-red three-quarters, with a five-part serrated boundary. [1] MapGrid’s published translation of Article 1 specifies white isosceles triangles extending one-fifth into the red section. This translation supplies the detailed construction rule; it is not an official English text. [2]
Colors and specimen
| Color | Published evidence | Local SVG fill |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Government guide: dark red; FOTW reports Pantone 485 C from the Arabic guide | #DA291C |
| White | White | #FFFFFF (SVG #fff) |
FOTW also records older Pantone 186 C and an Olympic PMS 032 reference. Its report of the Arabic guide gives HEX #DA291C but flags a malformed RGB value. The original color panel could not be inspected, so no official RGB or textile match is certified here. The specimen’s red follows the current Commons color table; these screen values do not replace physical production specifications. [3] [5]
Construction notes
The inspected SVG has a 0 0 1500 900 viewBox. Its white base reaches x=375; five tips reach x=600 at y=90, 270, 450, 630, and 810. Each triangle has a 180-unit vertical base and 225-unit horizontal depth. Thus the depth is one-fifth of the 1125-unit red section measured from the root line. These coordinate values are a scale conversion of the cited construction, not prescribed millimetres. [2] [5]
The quarter-length rule locates the roots of the serration; it does not mean that white occupies exactly one-quarter of the finished area. The equal spacing and centered tips produce isosceles, not equilateral, triangles. The source vector’s geometry is retained. Accessible metadata and intrinsic dimensions were added, and the older red fill was replaced as recorded in the asset register. This is a reference specimen, not an authority-issued manufacturing master.
Historical record
The government guide traces the white band to 1820 and the serrated division to 1932. Its prose dates the eight-point change to 1971, while its illustrated chronology labels that version 1972–2002. The discrepancy is retained without choosing an unsupported exact introduction date. Both accounts place the five-point replacement in 2002. Earlier eight-point specimens are superseded designs and must not stand in for the current flag. [1]
The guide dates the current change to 14 February 2002. FOTW identifies Decree-Law No. 4 of 2002 and reproduces a contemporary Bahrain News Agency summary, whose Article XI makes commencement depend on gazette publication. The exact publication date was not independently established. No individual designer is established by the sources consulted. [1] [3]
Use and related designs
The BNA summary reproduced by FOTW describes display at government premises, overseas missions, and on Bahraini ships, as well as a courtesy-flag requirement for foreign ships in Bahraini waters. It also records mourning at half-mast, restricted vehicle display, and a prohibition on commercial use. [3]
The King’s flag is separately regulated by Royal Order No. 4 of 2002. Its crown and additional white borders do not belong on this national specimen. The order is a distinct instrument from the national flag’s Decree-Law No. 4. [4]
Source trail
- Bahrainouna: The Kingdom of Bahrain Flag, Guidelines (2022), government-hosted edition ↗ — indexed text of pages 12 and 28 inspected for history, present status, symbolism, and proportions; direct PDF retrieval returned 403.
- MapGrid: Bahrain construction sheet and Article 1 translation ↗ — legal geometry as transcribed by a named contributor; independent of the specimen filename. Original gazette text remains unverified.
- Flags of the World: Bahrain ↗ — recognized vexillological reference; contemporary BNA law summary, adoption, and conflicting color references. Secondary evidence, identified as such.
- Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission: Royal Order No. 4 of 2002 ↗ — indexed Arabic text inspected; distinguishes the King’s flag and cites the national flag law.
- Specimen provenance and rights → — retrieved vector, Commons credits, public-domain basis, changes, and checksum.
.svg){kind=link}
Sources checked 14 September 2026. Outstanding: original gazette publication and drawing, direct inspection of the color panel, and the guide’s 1971/1972 historical discrepancy. Geometry follows the published Article 1 translation and agrees with the government guide’s basic proportions.
Related records: Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Browse national flags or the Flag Index.