Egypt vs Iraq vs Yemen Flag
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The flags of Egypt, Iraq and Yemen look almost the same at a glance: three equal horizontal stripes of red, white and black. They belong to a family of Pan-Arab flags that grew out of the Arab Liberation Flag of Egypt's 1952 revolution. What sets them apart is the white stripe. Egypt's carries the gold Eagle of Saladin, Iraq's carries the green phrase 'Allahu Akbar', and Yemen's is empty. Syria flew a fourth version, with two green stars, until December 2024, when it switched to a green, white and black flag.
Key Differences
- Egypt's white stripe carries the gold Eagle of Saladin; neither Iraq nor Yemen has an animal emblem.
- Iraq's white stripe carries 'Allahu Akbar' in green Kufic script; Yemen's white stripe is blank.
- Yemen's is the only one of the three with no emblem, so it shows just three colors.
- Egypt's current flag dates to 1984, Yemen's to 1990 and Iraq's current form to 2008.
- From a distance, look at the middle of the flag: gold means Egypt, green means Iraq, nothing means Yemen.
Similarities
- All three use the same horizontal tricolor: red on top, white in the middle, black at the bottom.
- All three descend from the Arab Liberation Flag first raised after Egypt's 1952 revolution.
- All three take their colors from the Pan-Arab colors of the Arab Revolt of 1916.
- All three have a 2:3 aspect ratio.
- Each country once flew a version with green stars: two on the United Arab Republic flag Egypt used from 1958, three on Iraq's flag from 1963 to 2008, and one on North Yemen's from 1962 to 1990.
Why Do Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen Flags Look So Similar?
The shared tricolor is a political symbol, not a coincidence. The Arab Revolt of 1916 flew black, white, green and red, the Pan-Arab colors. After Egypt's 1952 revolution, the new government raised the Arab Liberation Flag, a red, white and black tricolor, and other Arab republics copied it. Egypt and Syria added two green stars when they formed the United Arab Republic in 1958. North Yemen adopted a version with one green star in 1962, and Iraq one with three green stars in 1963. Over the following decades each country changed its emblem: Egypt settled on the Eagle of Saladin in 1984, Yemen dropped all emblems when it unified in 1990, and Iraq removed its stars in 2008 and kept the script. The stripes stayed the same, which is why the three flags still look alike.
History of the Egyptian Flag
Egypt's modern flag was adopted on October 4, 1984. After the 1952 revolution that overthrew the monarchy, Egypt used a red-white-black tricolor with a green eagle and stars referencing the Arab Liberation Flag. During the 1958–1961 United Arab Republic with Syria, two green stars appeared on the white stripe. After the union dissolved, Egypt restored a national flag, replacing the stars eventually with the gold Eagle of Saladin, a heraldic device tied to the 12th-century Ayyubid sultan Saladin. The current eagle, holding a scroll bearing the country's name in Arabic, has been in use since 1984.
History of the Iraqi Flag
Iraq's current flag dates to 2008, but its red-white-black tricolor goes back to 1963, when the Ba'athist government adopted a flag with three green stars on the white stripe to represent hopes for political union with Egypt and Syria. In 1991, the green Arabic phrase 'Allahu Akbar' (commonly translated as 'God is greatest') was added between the stars, reportedly in former president Saddam Hussein's own handwriting. After the 2003 invasion, this script was kept but rewritten in formal Kufic script in 2008, and the three stars were removed. The current flag is the result of multiple post-2003 redesigns and parliamentary debates.
History of the Yemeni Flag
Yemen's flag was adopted on 22 May 1990, the day North and South Yemen unified. Both earlier flags were versions of the red, white and black Arab Liberation Flag. North Yemen's, adopted in 1962, carried a green star on the white stripe. South Yemen's, adopted at independence from Britain in 1967, added a light blue triangle with a red star at the hoist. The unified flag dropped both emblems and kept the plain tricolor.
Color Comparison
Egypt Flag Colors
Iraq Flag Colors
Yemen Flag Colors
Fun Facts
- The Eagle of Saladin on Egypt's flag was reportedly modeled on a stone carving discovered on the wall of the Cairo Citadel built by Saladin in the 12th century.
- Iraq's 1991-era 'Allahu Akbar' script was widely reported to be in Saddam Hussein's own handwriting; in 2008, parliament replaced it with a more neutral Kufic script.
- Yemen's flag is graphically identical to the flag Libya used from 1969 to 1972.
- Sudan's flag is the same red-white-black tricolor but adds a green triangle on the hoist side.
- Syria flew a red, white and black flag with two green stars until December 2024. Its current flag, green, white and black with three red stars, became official on 13 March 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen flags look alike?
The shared tricolor is a political symbol, not a coincidence. The Arab Revolt of 1916 flew black, white, green and red, the Pan-Arab colors. After Egypt's 1952 revolution, the new government raised the Arab Liberation Flag, a red, white and black tricolor, and other Arab republics copied it. Egypt and Syria added two green stars when they formed the United Arab Republic in 1958. North Yemen adopted a version with one green star in 1962, and Iraq one with three green stars in 1963. Over the following decades each country changed its emblem: Egypt settled on the Eagle of Saladin in 1984, Yemen dropped all emblems when it unified in 1990, and Iraq removed its stars in 2008 and kept the script. The stripes stayed the same, which is why the three flags still look alike.
What is the difference between the Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen flag?
- Egypt's white stripe carries the gold Eagle of Saladin; neither Iraq nor Yemen has an animal emblem.
- Iraq's white stripe carries 'Allahu Akbar' in green Kufic script; Yemen's white stripe is blank.
- Yemen's is the only one of the three with no emblem, so it shows just three colors.
- Egypt's current flag dates to 1984, Yemen's to 1990 and Iraq's current form to 2008.
- From a distance, look at the middle of the flag: gold means Egypt, green means Iraq, nothing means Yemen.
Are the Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen flags the same?
No, while they look very similar, the flags of Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen have distinct differences. Egypt's white stripe carries the gold Eagle of Saladin; neither Iraq nor Yemen has an animal emblem.
Can You Tell Them Apart?
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Further reading on Wikipedia: Flag of Egypt, Flag of Iraq, Flag of Yemen