Bahrain vs Qatar

Before the 19th century, coastal Arabian sheikhdoms sailed under plain red flags. To combat piracy and differentiate friendly trading dhows from hostile raiders, the British Royal Navy negotiated the General Maritime Treaty of 1820. The treaty required participating emirates to add a prominent border or band of white along the hoist of their red flags.

Bahrain added a straight white stripe in 1820, later transforming it into a serrated zigzag edge with eight points to distinguish itself from neighboring tribes. In 2002, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa reduced the number of points to five, creating a permanent symbolic connection to the five pillars of Islam.

Qatar's unique maroon shade traces its roots to antiquity. The purple-red dye industry on the Qatari island of Jazirat al-Khor dates back to the second millennium BC, producing red shellfish pigments that darkened into deep purple-maroon when dried under the intense desert sun. In 1932, the British Admiralty recommended standardizing Qatar's flag with nine serrated points, designating Qatar as the ninth member of the 'Reconciled Emirates'.