Saudi Arabia Flag: Saudi Arabia is moving closer to changing the royal order that rules its national song and green flag, which is inscribed with Islam’s proclamation of faith, identifying the country as the birthplace of the religion.

The kingdom’s unelected consultative Shura Council voted in favour of the measures late Monday, according to state-run media. It comes at a time when the country’s youthful crown prince is emphasising Saudi patriotism and pride.

While the council’s judgments have no effect on current laws or structures, the vote is noteworthy because its members are selected by the king and their decisions frequently follow leadership.

According to other state-linked media, the reforms favour changing the system that governs the flag, slogan, and national song, but not its content.

The council has not provided any additional information.

According to local media reports, the proposed reforms aim to more clearly identify the proper uses of the state insignia, promote awareness about the significance of the flag and anthem, and protect the flag from infringement or neglect.

Last week, Saudi police arrested four Bangladeshi men for allegedly defiling the Saudi flag and dumping it in garbage.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the Shura Council voted to adopt a draught change to a nearly 50-year-old royal edict governing the flag.

The modification was offered by council member Saad al-Otaibi and was considered by a subcommittee before being discussed by the full council.

The suggestion comes at a time when the once ultra-conservative country is undergoing fast transformations.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been working to reinvent Saudi identity, replacing pan-Islamism with a national-cultural identity that is not simply determined by religion, with the support of his octogenarian father, King Salman.

In one case, a royal order was recently issued designating February 22 as Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day.

The national holiday commemorates Imam Muhammad bin Saud’s 18th-century attempt to establish the first Saudi state before its destruction at the hands of the Ottomans.

Also this week, the Saudi government ordered that Arabic coffee be renamed Saudi coffee in the latest effort to promote awareness about a cultural element that symbolises Saudi identity and customs, according to state media.

Since 1973, the green Saudi flag has included the Islamic proclamation of faith in white Arabic calligraphy that states: “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) is the Messenger of Allah.”

A sword is hidden beneath those words. The kingdom hosts Muslim pilgrims from around the world in the birthplace of Islam in Makkah, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born and received the first commandments of the Holy Quran.

In the absence of a free press, state-linked media sites gave additional details about the Shura Council’s proposal on flag and anthem codes, which will be submitted to King Salman for official consideration.

According to organisations such as Reporters Without Borders, there is no local independent media in Saudi Arabia, and repression has increased under the crown prince.

According to the daily Ashraq Al-Awsat and Sabq news sites, the concept arose as a result of the kingdom’s rapid developments in recent years.

Changes to existing legislation are being considered to meet the goals and ambitions of Vision 2030, the crown prince’s ambitious national effort to revamp the Saudi economy and make it more robust in the face of changing oil prices and renewable energy.

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