<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/saudi-arabia/" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia</a> will mark Flag Day every year on March 11, it announced on Wednesday. The decision came by order of King Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported. March 11, 1937, which corresponds to the 27th of Dhu Al Hijja 1355 on the Islamic calendar, was the day former King Abdulaziz endorsed the design of the flag. The modern flag with some minor differences has been used since 1973. A green background features the shahada, or inscription, in white above a sword. The shahada, the profession of faith, reads: “There is no deity but God. Mohammed is the Messenger of God.” Before King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, several variations of the flag were used. The king's army carried a banner featuring just the shahada during conflicts with other Arabian tribes and rival families. Ibn Saud, who captured Riyadh in 1902, later added the sword. Last year, Saudi Arabia announced that February 22 would be an annual holiday to mark the founding of the state. A decree at the time said the move was made “out of pride in the well-established roots of this state and the close connection of its citizens with its leaders since the era of Imam Muhammad bin Saud three centuries ago”.
