Flag similarities can really have us confused at times. Really though – when you think about it, the flag adaptations, especially that of Arab countries, are similar to copying an assignment, at least from the lense of academia. Specifically, Kuwait and UAE as countries share a close cultural ties as they are both a part of the Arab world and Middle East. They’re both members of Gulf Cooperation Council too. Notably, though, UAE is 4.7 times bigger than Kuwait as a whole.
Back to the flags element, it is often claimed that the Kuwait and UAE flag was adopted from that of Palestine. Metaphorically, Palestine did the assignment, UAE paraphrased it entirely and Kuwait summarizes and rephrases the answers. Both the colors and the overall patterns are identical in Kuwait and UAE’s flags. The only difference, however, is that the color pattern has been rearranged by Kuwait. At first sight, it may be particularly difficult for most to differentiate between the two flags.
Though there are many similarities, it is important to note that the differences too, exist, when it comes down to the history of the flags, symbolism, and other aspects. In this article, we will highlight those features of both the flags to comparatively evaluate the flags’ differences and similarities. Let’s first dig into the basic description of the flag.
Basic Description
UAE's Flag The flag of UAE is indeed, aesthetically pleasing and contains an element of symmetry to it. The flag comprises of three equal horizontal bands of green, white and black colors, respectively. The hoist side consists of a vertical strip of the color red. Yet again, another Arab country featuring Pan-Arab colors.
Kuwait's Flag The flag if Kuwait, officially adopted in 1961, consists of the classic Pan-Arab colors of white, red, green and black, which are seen in most Arab flags too, like that of Bahrain, Jordan, etc. The flag has a black trapezoid on the hoist side, while three equally horizontal bands of white, green and red.
Thoughts About Basic Description:
After discussing the basic description of both the flags, we are now aware of the fact that though both the flags share a similar colored horizontal bands the first two in the middle, at least. But the hoist side of both the flags consist of a different color and shape. Where Kuwait’s hoist side has a black trapezoid, UAE features a red vertical stripe.
Notably, though, UAE’s red strip brings a flashy element to it, while Kuwait’s black trapezoid, calms the rest of the colors, making it seem more intimidating and sophisticated in a way. Such a minute difference is hard to pick on by the rest of the world, which is why the flags are often confused for being the same.
Having covered the basic description part, let’s assess what each of these flags symbolize.
Symbolism
UAE’s Flag UAE’s flag consists of the Pan Arab colors which have their own symbolism and underlying meaning. The color red signifies strength, courage and bravery. For the people of UAE, the color red means standing up for what’s right and safeguarding the necessary under all circumstances.
Whereas, the color green signifies hope, love and jubilance. More so, it showcases prosperity within the nation and it also represents Islam, which is the official religion of UAE. Further, the color white symbolizes purity, harmony, peace and cleanliness. Lastly, the color black signifies unity and mental strength. It also represents the defeat of enemies.
Kuwait’s Flag Kuwait’s flag features Pan Arab colors amongst which each has its own special meaning. The color black, represents defeat of enemies and triumph against rivals. Moreover, the green color represents Kuwait’s beautiful plantations and vegetation. It represents the fertile land of Kuwait. Where white signifies peace which the country strives hard to maintain. Further, red color represents bloodshed during the independence from the UK. The national flag of Kuwait is a significant symbol of national solidarity for its people.
Thoughts About Symbolism:
The symbolism part was quite interesting to discover about both the flags. To a great extent, the symbolism is the same for both the countries, the only difference is that the green color in Kuwait’s flag represents its plantations and fertile land, where UAE’s green color has a lot of other meanings besides that one. Though notably, the black color in UAE’s flag is often associated with the oil reserves of UAE, but that seems to be a myth.
All in all, both the flags symbolize peace, triumph against enemies, hope, solidarity, bravery and patriotism.
Having said that, let’s head on to our next aspect, which is the height-to-width ratio of each flag.
Height-To-Width Ratio
UAE's Flag Ratio The ratio is the same for UAE flag which is 1:2
Kuwait’s Flag Ratio The ratio of Kuwait’s flag is 1:2
Thoughts About Height-To-Width Ratio:
This aspect is pretty straightforward and the numbers speak for themselves. There isn’t much difference in the proportions of both the flags.
Concluding Note:
On a concluding note, both flags are meaningful in their own way, yet share incredible similarities. It is important to note, however, to take a hold of the key differences in order to recognize the uniqueness of each of the flags on an international level. Moreover, the flags carry on the Arab traditional colors which promotes a sense of solidarity within the Arab nation as a whole.