Oman

Uman, Sultanate of Oman, Saltanat 'Uman

Last modified: 2002-11-23 by santiago dotor
Keywords: oman | uman | sultanate of oman | saltanat 'uman | sword | khanjar | belt | arab league | league of arab states | politics |
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1:2
by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache
Flag adopted 18th October 1995, coat-of-arms adopted 23rd July 1985

• Description
• Flag Variants
• Mistaken Variant
• Historical Flags
• War Ensign
• Police Flags (Royal Oman Police, Shurta 'Uman as-Sultaniyyah)
• People's Front for the Liberation of Oman

See also:

• General Maritime Treaty of 1820
• United Arab Emirates
• Fujairah
• League of Arab States ("Arab League")

On 25 April 1995 certain changes were introduced to the Omani national flag by virtue of a directive of the Sultan. The general appearance of the flag remains the same except that the horizontal stripes are now of equal width. The vertical stripe along the hoist is one-[fourth] of the flag's length and the flag's proportions are now 1:2. The colours and the emblem in the canton remain unchanged.

Bruce Berry, 23 November 1995

The basic law of Oman states: Article (4) The law shall determine the State's Flag, its Emblem, its decorations and medals and its National Anthem. See the Oman website for more information.

Joan-Francés Blanc, 11 May 1998

When the proportions of the flag were changed in 1995 from 2:3 to 1:2, the width of the vertical red stripe at hoist was also modified from 1/3rd to 1/4th of the fly. This is confirmed by my personal observations during my stay in Oman and the middle-sized flag I bought there. Some sources keep the original and therefore too wide red stripe.

Ivan Sache, 4 August 1998

From the Oman Ministry of Information website:

The National Flag was raised for the first time on 17th December 1970. The flag carries the Sultanate's emblem of two crossed swords with a khanjar and belt superimposed. White depicts the conviction of the Omani people in peace and prosperity. Red, which is dominant, has been adopted from the old Omani flag (which was red) and this symbolises the battles fought by Omanis for the eviction of foreign invaders from the country, and green represents fertility and greenery of the land.

Before the 25th National Day in November 1995 new regulations were introduced for the proportion of the three colours, the dimensions of the flag and the height of the poles on which it may be flown, according to the building and purpose.

Dov Gutterman, 19 March 1999

4:7      5:9
both by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache

Furthermore, Album des Pavillons 1990 indicates three kinds of national flags:

• the National Flag, 1:2
• the State Flag, hoisted on official buildings, 4:7
• the Ceremony Flag, hoisted on airports and during ceremonies, 5:9

Ivan Sache, 4 August 1998

At the 1999 Francfort Book Fair, I saw one interesting flag on the Oman stand: usual desktop flag with bronze tack (coat-of-arms) instead of white coat-of-arms as in FOTW drawings.

Gvido Petersons, 21 October 1999

Width of hoist stripe equals 1/3rd fly as in 1970-1995 flag

by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache

When the proportions of the flag were changed in 1995 from 2:3 to 1:2, the width of the vertical red stripe at hoist was also modified from 1/3rd to 1/4th of the fly. Some sources keep the original and therefore too wide red stripe, including the Dorling Kindersley 1997, but Album des Pavillons 1990 depicts the correct version. This is confirmed by my personal observations during my stay in Oman and the middle-sized flag I bought there.

Ivan Sache, 4 August 1998

According to a German text [from Flaggenmitteilungen ?] submitted by Jaume Ollé, "the flag of the People's Front for the Liberation of Oman is striped BWR; in the white field the inscription: ALJABHA ALSHA'BIYAH LITAHRIR OMAN in red."

Jarig Bakker, 11 September 1999