Bahrain vs Qatar

Both Arabian Gulf nations feature a vertical white band on the hoist separated by a serrated zigzag edge. Bahrain uses a bright scarlet red #DA291C with 5 white points. Qatar uses a deep maroon shade #8A1538 with 9 white points and has an unusually elongated 11:28 aspect ratio.

Play Similarities Ten lookalike rounds.

Bahrain

Qatar

Bahrain versus Qatar
Spec	Bahrain	Qatar
Fly field shade	Scarlet Red #DA291C	Maroon #8A1538
Proportions	3:5	11:28
Adopted	2002	1971
Colors	White #FFFFFF Scarlet Red #DA291C	White #FFFFFF Maroon #8A1538
Look for	Bright scarlet red field 5 white serrated triangular teeth (representing the five pillars of Islam) Standard 3:5 proportion	Deep maroon / burgundy field 9 white serrated triangular teeth (representing Qatar as the 9th emirate in the 1916 treaty) Distinctive long 11:28 aspect ratio (the only UN member with this ratio)

Which flag is Bahrain?

Ancient Snail Dyes and Maritime Peace Treaties

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'.

Telling them apart

Qatar's 11:28 aspect ratio is the most elongated aspect ratio of any sovereign nation in the United Nations.
The serrated boundary on both flags was designed to look like interlocked fingers of friendship and peace.
Qatar's color is Al Adam / Qatar maroon, specified as Pantone 1955 C in Law No. 14 of 2012 (older sheets used 222 C).

Questions

Why does Qatar have 9 points while Bahrain has 5?

Bahrain's 5 points represent the Five Pillars of Islam. Qatar's 9 points signify its status as the ninth member of the Reconciled Emirates following the Anglo-Qatari Treaty of 1916.

Why did Qatar choose maroon instead of standard red?

Historically, natural red dyes used in Qatar baked in the sun and oxidized into a distinctive purple-maroon tint. Qataris embraced this color as a proud national trademark.