Flag of the United Arab Emirates

• 
  Achaemenid Empire
• 
  Sasanian Empire
• 
  Umayyad Caliphate
• 
  Abbasid Caliphate
• 
  Omani Empire
• 
  Jabrids Emirate

Trucial Oman

Use	Historical
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	1968
Relinquished	2 December 1971 (1971-12-02)
Design	A horizontal tricolour of red, white and red with a green seven-pointed star in the center

• 
  Flag of the Emirate of Diriyah (1727–1818) and the Emirate of Najd (1824–1891)
• 
  Flag of the Hinawi (the Bani Yas – Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and Fujairah) and Ghafiri (Umm Al Quwain and Ajman) tribal confederations prior to 1820
• 
  Flag of the Al Qawasim (Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah) prior to 1820
• 
  Flag of the Emirate of Kalba (1921–1952)
• 
  Flag of the Trucial States Council (1968–1971)

Flag of Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi's flag on a 1967 Abu Dhabi stamp.

The flag of Abu Dhabi is a red flag with a white rectangle at the top-left corner. According to the 1820 General Maritime Treaty with the British, in times of war a full red flag would be used by the Bani Yas (Abu Dhabi and Dubai).[8] Although per the treaty, Abu Dhabi was supposed to fly the White Pierced Red Trucial States flag, in practice it continued to fly a plain red flag. Percy Cox, the British Colonial Office administrator in the Middle East, was unsuccessful in convincing Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan to adopt the Trucial States flag, which, Zayed argued, represented the Al Qawasim tribal federation.[9] Abu Dhabi later adopted a red flag with a top left white rectangle to distinguish it from the surrounding emirates.

Flag of Ajman

Flag of Dubai

Ajman flags painted at the Ajman Museum

The flags of Ajman and Dubai are identical. They are both plain red with a white bar at the hoist, i.e. closest to the flag staff.[10] The flag is known as the White Red Halved and was adopted as an alternative to the Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah White Pierced Red by the Emirate of Dubai and Ajman to distinguish their authority from the Al Qawasim in defiance of the bonds of the 1820 General Maritime Treaty with the British.[11] To the British, this flag was titled as Trucial Coast Flag No.1 and Abu Dhabi and Umm Al Quwain were also expected to adopt it.[12] According to the treaty, in times of war a full red flag would be used by the Bani Yas (Abu Dhabi and Dubai)[8] and a full white flag by Ajman.[13]

The Shihuh of Musandam Peninsula (Ruus Al Jibal) also had a similar flag.[14]

Flag of Fujairah 1952–1961

Fujairah currently uses the national flag of the United Arab Emirates.

Before 1952, the flag of Fujairah was plain red. Fujairah did not sign the general treaty in 1820 with the British and therefore continued using its red plain flag.[6] From 1952 to 1961, the emirate's name was added to the flag, and a red flag with a white Arabic calligraphy of the emirate name (Arabic: الفجيرة, romanized: al-Fujayra) was adopted as an ensign to distinguish it from the surrounding emirates. In 1975, the plain red flag was abolished and the national flag of the United Arab Emirates is now used for official purposes.

Flag of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah (Al Qawasim) after signing the 1820 General Maritime Treaty with the British Empire

Flag of Sharjah depicted on a Sharjah stamp of 1963.

The flags of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah are identical as they are ruled by two branches of the same house. The flags have a large red rectangle on a white background. The flag, known as the White Pierced Red flag, was the intended flag for all the Trucial States according to the 1820 Maritime Treaty with the British. It was widely attributed to the Al Qawasim tribal federation. Percy Cox, the British Colonial Office administrator in the Middle East, was unsuccessful in convincing the rest of the emirates' Sheikhs to adopt it.[15] To the British, this flag was titled as Trucial Coast Flag No. 2.[12] According to the treaty, in times of war the original Al Qassimi flag (green, white and red flag) was to be used by the Qawasim.[16]

Flag of Umm Al Quwain

The flag of Umm Al Quwain consists of a red background, a white bar at the hoist similar the flags of Ajman and Dubai, and a large white star and crescent in the center, a symbol of Islam representing allegiance to the Islamic world.[10] The Umm Al Quwain flag was supposed to be the same White Red Halved flag as the one used by both Dubai and Ajman, but a star and crescent were added to distinguish it from the other emirates.[12]