National Flag of the State of Qatar (1949)

In 1820, a General Treaty was signed between Great Britain and some of the Persian Gulf States, including Qatar. 

The treaty was part of Britain's solution to eradicating piracy in the region and stated that: "the friendly Arabs shall carry by land and sea a red flag, with or without letters on it, at their option, and this shall be in a border of white ........."

Qatar modified its all red flag with the addition of a white vertical stripe at the hoist to suit the British directive in the mid-19th century.

The nine-pointed serrated edge was added to the flag in the mid-20th century and the maroon colour was adopted in 1949, thus creating the current national flag. 

One reason for the adoption of maroon was to distinguish Qatar’s flag from the similar red and white flags of neighbouring countries. 

Another suggestion, however, is that the natural red dyes used in the production of the Qatar flag deepened to a maroon colour when exposed to the sun and that this process eventually led to the colours adoption.

The Symbolic Meaning

White symbolises peace and maroon, formerly red, represents the Kharijite Muslims of Qatar and the bloodshed in Qatar’s many wars.

The nine-point serrated edge symbolises Qatar as the 9th member of the "reconciled Emirates" of the Arabian Gulf at the conclusion of the Qatari-British treaty in 1916.