United Arab Emirates dirham

Short description: Currency of the United Arab Emirates

Emirati dirhamدرهم إماراتي (Arabic)

Reverse of an Emirati one dirham coin

ISO 4217
Code| AED (numeric: 784)
Subunit| 0.01
Unit
Unit| dirham
Plural| dirhams
Symbol|
Denominations
Subunit|
​1⁄100| fils (فلس)
Plural|
fils (فلس)| fulus (فلوس)
Banknotes| Dhs5, Dhs10, Dhs20, Dhs50, Dhs100, Dhs200, Dhs500, Dhs1,000
Coins|
Freq. used| 25, 50 fils, Dh1
Rarely used| 1, 5, 10 fils
Demographics
Date of introduction| 1973
User(s)|  United Arab Emirates
Issuance
Central bank| Central Bank of the UAE
Website| www.centralbank.ae/en/
Valuation
Inflation| 1.87%
Source| The World Factbook, 2023
Pegged with| USD[1]
US$1 = Dhs 3.6725

The Emirati dirham (symbol: ; currency code: AED; /ˈdɪər(h)əm/;[2]) Arabic: درهم إماراتي, abbreviation: د.إ in Arabic, Dh; is the official currency of the United Arab Emirates. The dirham is subdivided into 100 fils (فلس). It is pegged to the United States dollar at a constant exchange rate of approximately 3.67 AED to 1 USD. In March 2025, the UAE Central Bank announced the creation of a Dirham currency symbol, , derived from the Latin letter D crossed with two horizontal lines.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Currency symbol
* 2 Coins
* 2.1 Issues with fraud
* 3 Banknotes
* 3.1 Second issue
* 3.2 Third issue
* 4 Exchange rates
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## History

The name dirham is a loan from the Greek δραχμή (drakhmé). Due to centuries of trade and usage of the currency, dirham survived through the Ottoman Empire.

Before 1966, all the emirates that now form the UAE used the Gulf rupee, which was pegged at parity to the Indian rupee. On 6 June 1966, India decided to devalue the Gulf rupee against the Indian rupee. Not accepting the devaluation, several of the states still using the Gulf rupee adopted their own or other currencies. All the Trucial States except Abu Dhabi adopted the Qatar and Dubai riyal, which was equal to the Gulf rupee prior to the devaluation. These emirates briefly adopted the Saudi riyal during the transition from the Gulf rupee to the Qatar and Dubai riyal. Abu Dhabi used the Bahraini dinar, at a rate of 10 Gulf rupees = 1 dinar. In 1973, the UAE adopted the dirham as its currency. Abu Dhabi adopted the UAE dirham in place of the Bahraini dinar, at 1 dinar = 10 dirhams, while in the other emirates, the Qatar and Dubai riyal were exchanged at par.

### Currency symbol

See also: Emirati dirham sign

UAE Dirham symbol

In March 2025, the Central Bank of the UAE announced a currency symbol of the dirham. Its design based on two horizontal lines with curved ends (inspired by the UAE flag) superimposed on the Latin letter D.[3] As of February 2026, this symbol does not yet have a codepoint in Unicode for use with computer fonts. However, it is scheduled for inclusion as U+20C3 uae dirham sign in Unicode version 18.0, expected for September 2026.[4]

## Coins

In 1973, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 fils, as well as 1 dirham. The 1, 5, and 10 fils are struck in bronze, while the higher denominations were made in cupro-nickel. The fils coins were the same size and composition as the corresponding Qatar and Dubai dirham coins. In 1995, the five fils, 10 fils, 50 fils, and 1 dirham coins were reduced in size, with the new 50 fils being curve-equilateral-heptagonal shaped.

The value and numbers on the coins are written in Eastern Arabic numerals, and the text is in Arabic. Although the 1, 5, and 10 fils coins are rarely used in everyday life, the Central Bank of the UAE continues to produce them. However, these coins are primarily minted for collectors and commemorative purposes rather than for mass circulation. So all amounts are rounded up or down to the nearest multiples of 25 fils. The one-fils coin is a rarity and does not circulate significantly. When making a change, there is a risk of confusing the old 50-fils coin with the modern 1-dirham coin because the coins are almost the same size.

Since 1976, the Currency Board of the United Arab Emirates has minted several commemorative coins celebrating different events and rulers of the United Arab Emirates. For details, see Commemorative coins of the United Arab Emirates dirham.

Current issue (1973)

Image  | Value  | Diameter
(mm)  | Mass
(g)  | Composition  | Edge  | Obverse  | Reverse  | Issue  | Notes
Obverse  | Reverse
|  | 1 fils  | 15.00  | 1.50  |  | Bronze | Smooth  | Three date palms;
Lettering:
لزيادة انتاج المحاصيل الغذائية;
year of issue
(Gregorian and Hijri) | Value and lettering:
الامارات العربية المتحدة,
United Arab Emirates | 1973–2005
Copper-plated steel | 2018  | In proof and uncirculated sets only
|  | 5 fils  | 22.00  | 3.75  | Bronze | Lethrinus nebulous;
Lettering:
نظافة البحار تعني
المزيد من الغذاء للبشر;
year of issue
(Gregorian and Hijri) | 1973–1989
17.00  | 2.20  | 1996–2014
Copper-plated steel | 2018  | In proof and uncirculated sets only
|  | 10 fils  | 27.00  | 7.50  | Bronze | Dhow; year of issue
(Gregorian and Hijri) | 1973–1989
19.00  | 3.00  | 1996–2011
Copper-plated steel | 2017  | In proof and uncirculated sets only
70px  | 70px  | 25 fils  | 20.00  | 3.50  |  | Cupronickel | Reeded  | Arabian gazelle;
year of issue
(Gregorian and Hijri) | 1973–2011
3.48  | Nickel-plated steel | 2014–present
|  | 50 fils  | 25.00  | 6.50  | Cupronickel | Three oil derricks;
year of issue
(Gregorian and Hijri) | 1973–1989
75px  | 75px  | 21.00
(heptagonal) | 4.40  | Smooth  | 1995–2007
4.15  | Nickel-plated steel | 2013–present
80px  | 80px  | Dh 1  | 28.50  | 11.30  | Cupronickel | Reeded  | Dallah; year of issue
(Gregorian and Hijri) | 1973–1989
24.00  | 6.40  | 1995–2007
6.10  | Nickel-plated steel | 2012–present

### Issues with fraud

By August 2006, it became publicly known that the Philippine one-peso coin is the same size as one dirham.[5] As 1 peso is only worth eight fils, this has led to vending machine fraud in the UAE. Pakistan's 5-rupee coin, the Omani 50-baisa coin, and the Moroccan 1 dirham are also the exact size as the Emirati one dirham coin. The 20 Gapik Coin is almost the same size as the 1 Dirham Coin Although 1 mm thinner, a one dirham coin has also been found in ten-cent coin rolls in Australia.

## Banknotes

On 20 May 1973, the UAE Currency Board introduced notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 dirhams; a Dhs 1,000 note was issued on 3 January 1976.[6] A second series of note was introduced in 1982 which omitted the Dh 1 and Dhs 1,000 notes. Dhs 500 notes were introduced in 1983, followed by Dhs 200 in 1989. Dhs 1,000 notes were reintroduced in 2000. Banknotes are currently available in denominations of Dhs 5 (brown), Dhs 10 (green), Dhs 20 (light blue), Dhs 50 (purple), Dhs 100 (pink), Dhs 200 (green/brown), Dhs 500 (navy blue) and Dhs 1,000 (greenish blue).

The obverse texts are written in Arabic with numbers in Eastern Arabic numerals; the reverse texts are in English with numbers in Arabic numerals. The 200 dirham denomination is scarce as it was only produced in 1989; any circulating today comes from bank stocks. The 200 dirham denomination has since been reissued and is now in circulation since late May 2008 – it has been reissued in a different colour; Yellow/Brown to replace the older Green/Brown.[7]

On 22 March 2008, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates released a Dhs 50 note. The security thread was a 3-mm wide, colour-shifting windowed security thread with demetalized UAE 50, and it bore the new coat of arms. On 7 December 2021, a redesigned polymer Dhs 50 note was released to commemorate the golden jubilee of the country on 2 December 2021, making it the UAE's first polymer banknote.[8] Additional new polymer banknotes of Dhs 5 and Dhs 10 were introduced on 21 April 2022,[9] with the Dhs 1000 released in the first half of 2023,[10] and the Dhs 500 note reportedly introduced on 30 November 2023.[11] A falcon watermark is present on all dirham notes to prevent fraud.

### Second issue

Image  | Value  | Dimensions
(mm)  | Main colour  | Description  | Issue

|
|
|
|
|

Obverse  | Reverse
[1] | Dhs 5  | 143 x 60  |  | Brown  | Central Souq, Sharjah  | Northern Emirates landscape
Salem Al Mutawa Mosque, Sharjah  | 1982
[2] | Dhs 10  | 147 x 62  |  | Green  | Khanjar | Pilot farm
[3] | Dhs 20  | 149 x 63  |  | Cyan  | Creek Golf and Yacht Club, Dubai  | Trading dhow | 1997
[4] | Dhs 50  | 151 x 64  |  | Purple  | Oryx | Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain  | 1982
[5] | Dhs 100  | 155 x 66  |  | Red  | Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai  | World Trade Centre, Dubai
[6] | Dhs 200  | 157 x 67  |  | Orange  | Sharia court building
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi | Central bank building, Abu Dhabi | 1989
[7] | Dhs 500  | 159 x 68  |  | Blue  | Saker falcon  | Jumeirah Mosque, Dubai  | 1983
[8] | Dhs 1000  | 163 x 70  |  | Turquoise  | Qasr al-Hosn, Abu Dhabi | Corniche, Abu Dhabi | 1998

### Third issue

Image  | Value  | Dimensions
(mm)  | Main colour  | Description  | Issue

|
|
|
|
|

Obverse  | Reverse
[9] | Dhs 5  | 143 x 66  |  | Brown  | Ajman Fort
(Ajman)  | Dhayah Fort
(Ras Al Khaimah)  | 26 April 2022
[10] | Dhs 10  | 147 x 66  |  | Green  | Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
(Abu Dhabi)  | Khor Fakkan Amphitheatre
(Sharjah)  | 21 April 2022
[11] | Dhs 50  | 151 x 66  |  | Purple  | Union's founding fathers  | Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan;
Etihad Museum (Dubai)  | 23 December 2021
[12] | Dhs 100  | 155 x 66  |  | Pink  | Umm Al Quwain Fort  | Port of Fujairah;
Etihad Rail  | 24 March 2025
[13] | Dhs 500  | 159 x 66  |  | Blue  | Terra Pavilion (Dubai)  | Museum of the Future;
Burj Khalifa (Dubai)  | 30 November 2023
[14] | Dhs 1000  | 163 x 66  |  | Olive brown  | Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan;
Hope probe | Barakah nuclear power plant
(Abu Dhabi)  | 10 April 2023

## Exchange rates

On 28 January 1978, the dirham was officially pegged to the IMF's special drawing rights (SDRs).[12] In practice, it has been pegged to the U.S. dollar for most of the time.[13] Since November 1997, the dirham has been pegged to the US dollar at a rate of US$1 = Dhs 3.6725,[14] which translates to approximately Dh 1 = US$0.272294.

Current AED exchange rates

From Google Finance:  | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD SAR BHD INR
From Yahoo! Finance:  | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD SAR BHD INR
From XE.com:  | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD SAR BHD INR
From OANDA:  | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD SAR BHD INR

## See also

* Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
* Economy of the United Arab Emirates
* Moroccan dirham
* Emirati dirham sign
* Jaywan
* Emirati dirham
* List of banks in the United Arab Emirates

## References

1. ↑ "Annual Report 2014". http://www.centralbank.ae/en/pdf/reports/CBUAEAnnualReport2014_en_new.pdf.
2. ↑ Stevenson, Angus (2010-08-19) (in en). Oxford Dictionary of English. OUP Oxford. pp. 496. ISBN 978-0-19-957112-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=anecAQAAQBAJ&dq="ˈdɪərəm"+definition&pg=PA496.
3. ↑ "New symbol revealed for UAE dirham in physical, digital forms". Gulf News. 27 March 2025. https://gulfnews.com/business/banking/new-symbol-revealed-for-uaes-dirham-in-physical-digital-forms-1.500074540.
4. ↑ "Proposed New Characters: The Pipeline". Unicode Technical Committee. 2026-02-11. https://www.unicode.org/alloc/Pipeline.html.
5. ↑ Menon, Sunita (2006-08-01). "Hey presto! A Peso's as good as a Dirham". gulfnews.com. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/hey-presto-a-peso-s-as-good-as-a-dirham-1.38628.
6. ↑ Linzmayer, Owen (2012). "United Arab Emirates". The Banknote Book. San Francisco, CA: www.BanknoteNews.com. http://www.banknotebook.com.
7. ↑ url="Gulfnews: New Dh200 note to be issued in the UAE". http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/05/24/10215816.html.
8. ↑ Forster, Sarah (7 December 2021). "UAE leaders attend launch of new Dh50 banknote". The National News. The National News. https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2021/12/07/uae-leaders-attend-launch-of-new-dh50-banknote/.
9. ↑ UAE Central Bank
10. ↑ Web Desk. "UAE Central Bank issues new Dh1,000 banknote for National Day" (in en). https://www.khaleejtimes.com/currency-exchange/uae-central-bank-issues-new-dh1000-banknote-for-national-day.
11. ↑ "United Arab Emirates new 500-dirham polymer note (B250a) reportedly introduced on 30.11.2023 – BanknoteNews" (in en-US). 2023-11-30. https://banknotenews.com/?p=41872.
12. ↑ Dynamic Growth of the UAE Monetary and Banking Sector, Central Bank of the UAE
13. ↑ Tables of modern monetary history: Asia
14. ↑ Statistical Bulletin, Quarterly July – Sep. 2005, Central Bank of the UAE Vol. 25, No. 3

## External links

* United Arab Emirates Commemorative Coins
* UAE Dirham Currency Converter

* v
* t
* e

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