A sword is depicted beneath the Arabic inscription on Saudi Arabia's flag. The white sword lies horizontally on the green field, with its tip pointing toward the hoist-side direction shown in the official design.
The inscription is the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith: “There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” It is written in white Thuluth script above the sword. The green background is strongly associated with Islam, while the sword is commonly described as representing safety and justice.
Saudi flags are manufactured with identical obverse and reverse sides so that the shahada reads correctly from either direction. The sword therefore points left on both sides, rather than appearing reversed when the flag is viewed from behind. This requirement also helps protect the legibility of the sacred inscription.
The sword was added to the Saudi flag design in 1921 by Abdulaziz ibn Saud, founder of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Earlier versions sometimes showed two swords or included a white vertical stripe. The current design was officially standardized on 15 March 1973. A dagger, spear, or arrow is not part of the national flag's emblem.