The national flag of Yemen was adopted on May 22, 1990 the same day that North Yemen and South Yemen unified. The pattern of red, white and black stripes was also present on the flags of North and South Yemen, and are traditional Arab colors found on the flags of Egypt, Syria, Iraq among others.

According to the official description, the red stands for the bloodshed of martyrs and unity; the white for a bright future; black for the dark past.