UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC (EGYPT)  •  1958-72 ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT  •  1972-84

NAVAL & MILITARY FLAGS & ENSIGNS

In 1958, Egypt and Syria joined to form the United Arab Republic (UAR). This led to the formal abolition of the green Egyptian flags of 1923-58 and their replacement by designs based on the red-white-black Arab Liberation Flag of 1952. The eagle of Saladin, however, was replaced by two green stars to symbolize the union of Egypt and Syria (green being the traditional color of Islam). Egypt's UAR military and naval flags followed the general pattern of the 1923-58 period, with crossed anchors for the Navy, crossed swords for the Army, and a design based on the British RAF Ensign for the Air Force. There was also a flag for the President of the UAR as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces The UAR proved unworkable and in 1972 it was replaced by the Federation of Arab Republics (Egypt, Syria and Libya), Egypt being officially styled the Arab Republic of Egypt. The green stars on the white stripe of Egyptian flags were replaced by a golden yellow hawk of Quraish, but otherwise there were no changes to the designs. The 1972 designs were replaced in 1984 when a new national flag similar to the Arab Liberation Flag of 1952 was adopted. Image Added May 2017 UAR: Commander-in-Chief of the Navy