Since the declaration of the Syrian Republic on 14 May 1930, Syria has had several coats of arms, albeit fairly consistent in composition - a supporter (often the Hawk of Quraish) bearing a shield, with the official Arabic name of the territory on a scroll beneath.
During Syria's union with Egypt in the United Arab Republic (UAR) between 1958 and 1961, the pan-Arab Eagle of Saladin was used as the basis of the coat of arms. Though Syria withdrew from the union in 1961, Egypt continued to use the official name, flag, and coat of arms of the UAR until 1971. Syria reverted to the coat of arms used before the UAR, inverting the colours of the mullets and the orle two years later.
During the period of the Federation of Arab Republics between 1972 and 1977, a loose association of Egypt, Libya, and Syria, the Hawk of Quraish was used as the coat of arms.
After the end of the union, all three former member states retained the Hawk of Quraish. Egypt finally reverted to the Eagle of Saladin in 1984, which had served as the coat of arms of both Egypt and Libya prior to the abortive union, and which still serves as the basis of the in this arms of Egypt, Iraq, and Palestine. Syria continued to use the Hawk of Quraish, as did Libya under Gaddafi (although the Libyan version faced to the dexter rather than to the sinister, as in the Syrian version). The coat of arms was adopted by Law No. 37 on 21 June 1980, after it was approved by the People’s Assembly on June 17, 1980 and published in the Official Gazette, Issue No. 26 of 1980.