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Oman

Al-'Umman, Sultanate of Oman, Saltanaat al-'Umman, former Sultanate of Muscat and Oman

1:2
by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache
Flag adopted 18th October 1995, coat-of-arms adopted 23rd July 1985

National, State and Ceremony Flags
National Flag 1970-1995
Naval Ensign 1970-1995
Air Force Flag 1970-1995
Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (Pre-1970 Flag)
People's Front for the Liberation of Oman

See also:

National, State and Ceremony Flags

On 25 April 1995 certain changes were introduced to the Omani national flag by virtue of a directive of the Sultan. The general appearance of the flag remains the same except that the horizontal stripes are now of equal width. The vertical stripe along the hoist is one-third [unclear, see below] of the flag's length and the flag's proportions are now 1:2. The colours and the emblem in the canton remain unchanged.

Bruce Berry, 23 November 1995

The basic law of Oman states: Article (4) The law shall determine the State's Flag, its Emblem, its decorations and medals and its National Anthem. See the Oman website for more information.

Joan-Francés Blanc, 11 May 1998

Incorrect version: width of hoist stripe equals 1/3rd fly as in former 1970-1995 flag

When the proportions of the flag were changed in 1995 from 2:3 to 1:2, the width of the vertical red stripe at hoist was also modified from 1/3rd to 1/4th of the fly. Some sources keep the original and therefore too wide red stripe, including the Dorling-Kindersley Pocket Book, but the Album des Pavillons depicts the correct version. This is confirmed by my personal observations during my stay in Oman and the middle-sized flag I bought there.

Moreover, the Album des Pavillons indicates three kinds of national flags:

the National Flag, 1:2 (see top of the page)
the State Flag, hoisted on official buildings, 4:7
4:7
by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache
the Ceremony Flag, hoisted on airports and during ceremonies, 5:9
5:9
by Mark Sensen and Ivan Sache

I remember having seen in several instances flags on official buildings, usually by groups of two. I infer that one of them was 1:2 and the other one 4:7. This is only hypothetical because such proportions are nearly impossible to distinguish on flags agitated by wind and located at a quite long distance. I cannot remember having seen any flag at As-Seeb international airport.

Ivan Sache, 4 August 1998

From the Oman Ministry of Information website:

The National Flag was raised for the first time on 17th December 1970. The flag carries the Sultanate's emblem of two crossed swords with a khanjar and belt superimposed. White depicts the conviction of the Omani people in peace and prosperity. Red, which is dominant, has been adopted from the old Omani flag (which was red) and this symbolises the battles fought by Omanis for the eviction of foreign invaders from the country, and green represents fertility and greenery of the land.
Before the 25th National Day in November 1995 new regulations were introduced for the proportion of the three colours, the dimensions of the flag and the height of the poles on which it may be flown, according to the building and purpose.

Dov Gutterman, 19 March 1999

National Flag 1970-1995

by Zeljko Heimer

Naval Ensign 1970-1995

by Santiago Dotor

Oman naval: blue, national flag in canton, white anchor in fly.

Jan Zrzavy, 16 January 1998

From the photo I received from the French Naval Attaché in Oman, current [1995] ensign shows in the blue fly a symbol of the Omani navy instead of the anchor.

Armand Noel du Payrat, 11 May 1998

The naval ensign of Oman was created in the 70s. The same design was in use until 1985 when a little modification was made in the emblem. In 1995 the new national flag was incorporated to the canton, and the ratio was changed to 1:2.

Jaume Ollé, 5 December 1998

by Marcus Wendel

I found another version of this flag with a different design of the anchor, source: Talocci 1994.

Marcus Wendel, 5 September 1999

Air Force Flag 1970-1995

by Mark Sensen

In [ped80] there are several air force flags with roundels. All have the same pattern; light blue, the national flag in the canton, the air force roundel in the fly.

Mark Sensen, 22 June 1997

I have received from the French Military Attaché in Mascate a rather different design: in place of the red cockade, it presents on the light blue field a golden design with royal crown, two wings and the three usual crossed swords.

Armand Noel du Payrat, 24 June 1997

Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (Pre-1970 Flag)

by Joan-Francés Blanc

Oman also used pure red flag until 1970's, when horizontal stripes of white and green have been added.

Zeljko Heimer, 22 November 1995

The plain red flag was replaced by the coloured one when present Sultan Qaboos took the power, in 1970.

Joan-Francés Blanc, 11 May 1998

Seems me that the Imamate used plain white flag. The arabic inscripcion was added later in the flag of the "State of Oman".

Jaume Ollé, 6 April 1998

The flag of the Imamate of Oman was in fact white with a red sword and above it a red inscription. This flag can be seen on coins etc. The flag was white in contrast to the red flag of Muscat. Zeljko Heimer writes "Oman also used pure red flag until 1970's", not explaining that there was no "Oman" at that time. The name of the state with the red flag was "Muscat and Oman". Muscat had ruled the Eastern Arabia, not Oman. Oman was the interior part, ruled by an Imam, who never ruled in Muscat. When they both cooperated the name was changed to "Muscat and Oman", and after the defeat of the Imam, Sultan Qaboos changed the state's name to "Oman". Please don't confuse both names, as the seafaring nation, once ruling Zanzibar, the Maldives and other islands, was Muscat and not Oman!

The Imamate of Oman was not in "the interior of Oman", but it was in the interior of Eastern Arabia, surrounded in the north, east and south by the sultanate of Muscat. One could write "the Imamate of Oman was a rarely recognized state in the interior of what is today Oman".

Ralf Stelter, 17 April 1999

According to a German text [from Flaggenmitteilung ?] submitted by Jaume Ollé, "the Imamate of Oman formerly flew a white flag with a red inscription Victory of God and speedy fulfillment and thereunder a horizontal red sword."

John S. Ayer, 11 September 1999

People's Front for the Liberation of Oman

According to a German text [from Flaggenmitteilung ?] submitted by Jaume Ollé, "the flag of the People's Front for the Liberation of Oman is striped BWR; in the white field the inscription: ALJABHA ALSHA'BIYAH LITAHRIR OMAN in red."

Jarig Bakker, 11 September 1999