Bahrain Flag Colors, Meaning & History

Bahrain flag
Color Palette
ColorsHEX CodeRGBCMYK
White#FFFFFF255, 255, 2550, 0, 0, 0
Red#CE1126206, 17, 380, 92, 82, 19

The Bahraini flag is made of two vertical stripes colored red and white. The white color is to the left, close to the mast, while the red color is to the right, on the outer side of the flag. The white band on the flag is separated from the red band with a serrated line of 5 triangles. The white part constitutes one third of the flag, while the red part constitutes two thirds.

Meaning of Bahraini Flag

The red color in the Bahraini flag represents its Islamic faith and the Kharijite Sect of Islam. The white color stands for peace and harmony, originating from the peace treaty that was signed with Britain. The 5 triangles in the serrated line represent the 5 pillars of Islam.

History of the Bahraini flag

Bahrain existed in the Persian Gulf which was an area of wars and struggles. Its flag was totally red reflecting its belonging to the Kharijite sect.  In 1820 the British were able to bring peace to the struggling Arab states. As part of the agreement made between the countries that were at peace with the United Kingdom, the members of the treaty had to include a white border next to the red strip. To differentiate their vessels from other countries with similar flags, the Bahraini  added the serrated line and narrowed the white stripe. The flag of Bahrain was first officially recognized one year after it gained its independence in 1971. The number of triangles has been reduced over time, from 28 to 8 triangles, and then in 2002, it was made official that the line that separates the two bands should be serrated with five triangles.