JAKARTA, ThedailyID — Saudi Arabia’s national flag receives special treatment during the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies. FIFA follows a unique protocol because the flag contains the Islamic declaration of faith, making it sacred to Muslims.
The Saudi Arabian flag displays the Shahada, which reads, “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” The flag also features a sword beneath the inscription.
Therefore, ceremony volunteers carry the Saudi flag by hand instead of placing it on the ground with other participating nations’ flags.
FIFA also applies the same protocol to Iraq’s flag. Iraq’s national flag includes the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar,” which Muslims also consider sacred.
Moreover, FIFA introduced the protocol to respect the religious significance of the inscriptions. The organization aims to prevent the sacred words from touching the ground or being stepped on during ceremonies.
The special handling attracted attention during the tournament’s opening matches. However, FIFA has followed similar practices at previous international sporting events involving flags with sacred religious text.
