United Arab Emirates dirham
Encyclopedia
The dirham (sign
: د.إ; code
: AED) is the currency of the United Arab Emirates
. The ISO 4217
code (currency abbreviation) for the United Arab Emirates dirham
is AED. Unofficial abbreviations include DH or Dhs. The dirham is subdivided into 100 .
dirham was introduced December 1971. It replaced the Qatar and Dubai riyal
at par. The Qatar and Dubai riyal had circulated since 1966 in all of the emirates except Abu Dhabi
, where the dirham replaced the Bahraini dinar
at 1 dirham = 0.1 dinar. Before 1966, all the emirates that were to form the UAE used the Gulf rupee
. As in Qatar
, the emirates briefly adopted the Saudi riyal
during the transition from the Gulf rupee to the Qatar
and Dubai riyal.
On January 28, 1978, the dirham was officially pegged to the IMF
's Special Drawing Rights
(SDRs). In practice, it is pegged to the U.S. dollar
for most of the time. Since November 1997, the dirham has been pegged to the 1 U.S. dollar = 3.6725 dirhams, which translates to approximately 1 dirham = 0.272294 dollar.
The name Dirham
derives from the Greek word Drachmae, literally meaning "handful", through Latin. Due to centuries of old trade and usage of the currency, dirham survived through the Ottoman regime.
The value and numbers on the coins are written in Eastern Arabic numerals
and the text is in Arabic
. The 1, 5 and 10 fils coins are rarely used in everyday life, so all amounts are rounded up or down to the nearest multiples of 25 fils. The 1 fils coin is a rarity and does not circulate significantly. In making change there is a risk of confusing the old 50 fils coin for the modern 1 dirham coin because the coins are almost the same size.
Since 1976 the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates
has minted several commemorative coin
s celebrating different events and rulers of the United Arab Emirates
. For details, see Commemorative coins of the United Arab Emirates dirham
.
coin is the same size as one dirham. As 1 peso is only worth 8 fils, this has led to vending machine fraud in the U.A.E.
The Australian ten cent coin is the same size, shape and weight as the U.A.E. Dirham.
Pakistan's 5 Rupee coin, the Omani 50 Baisa coin and the Moroccan Dirham is also the same size as the U.A.E. one Dirham coin.
A falcon watermark is present on all dirham notes in order to prevent fraud.
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 come 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.
Currency sign
A currency sign is a graphic symbol used as a shorthand for a currency's name, especially in reference to amounts of money. They typically employ the first letter or character of the currency, sometimes with minor changes such as ligatures or overlaid vertical or horizontal bars...
: د.إ; code
ISO 4217
ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
: AED) is the currency of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. The ISO 4217
ISO 4217
ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
code (currency abbreviation) for the United Arab Emirates dirham
Dirham
Dirham or dirhem is a unit of currency in several Arab or Berber nations, and formerly the related unit of mass in the Ottoman Empire and Persian states...
is AED. Unofficial abbreviations include DH or Dhs. The dirham is subdivided into 100 .
History
The United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
dirham was introduced December 1971. It replaced the Qatar and Dubai riyal
Qatari riyal
The riyal is the currency of the State of Qatar. It is divided into 100 dirham and is abbreviated as either QR or ر.ق .- History :...
at par. The Qatar and Dubai riyal had circulated since 1966 in all of the emirates except Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, where the dirham replaced the Bahraini dinar
Bahraini dinar
The dinar is the currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1000 fils . The name dinar derives from the Roman denarius. The dinar was introduced in 1965, replacing the Gulf rupee at a rate of 10 rupees = 1 dinar. The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated .د.ب or BD...
at 1 dirham = 0.1 dinar. Before 1966, all the emirates that were to form the UAE used the Gulf rupee
Gulf rupee
The Gulf rupee, also known as the Persian Gulf rupee , was a currency used in the countries of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula between 1959 and 1966...
. As in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, the emirates briefly adopted the Saudi riyal
Saudi riyal
The Riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia. It is abbreviated as ر.س or SR . It is subdivided into 100 Halalas . The Saudi Ghirsh is 5 Halalas.-History:...
during the transition from the Gulf rupee to the Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and Dubai riyal.
On January 28, 1978, the dirham was officially pegged to the IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
's Special Drawing Rights
Special Drawing Rights
Special Drawing Rights are supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund . Not a currency, SDRs instead represent a claim to currency held by IMF member countries for which they may be exchanged...
(SDRs). In practice, it is pegged to the U.S. dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
for most of the time. Since November 1997, the dirham has been pegged to the 1 U.S. dollar = 3.6725 dirhams, which translates to approximately 1 dirham = 0.272294 dollar.
The name Dirham
Dirham
Dirham or dirhem is a unit of currency in several Arab or Berber nations, and formerly the related unit of mass in the Ottoman Empire and Persian states...
derives from the Greek word Drachmae, literally meaning "handful", through Latin. Due to centuries of old trade and usage of the currency, dirham survived through the Ottoman regime.
Coins
In 1973, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 fils, and 1 dirham. The 1, 5 and 10 fils are struck in bronze, with the higher denominations in cupro-nickel. The fils coins were same size and composition as the corresponding Qatar and Dubai dirham coins. In 1995, the 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
Eastern Arabic numerals
The Eastern Arabic numerals are the symbols used to represent the Hindu-Arabic numeral system in conjunction with the Arabic alphabet in the countries of the Arab world....
and the text is in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. The 1, 5 and 10 fils coins are rarely used in everyday life, so all amounts are rounded up or down to the nearest multiples of 25 fils. The 1 fils coin is a rarity and does not circulate significantly. In making change there is a risk of confusing the old 50 fils coin for the modern 1 dirham coin because the coins are almost the same size.
Since 1976 the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates
Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates is the central bank of the United Arab Emirates.-See also:*Economy of the United Arab Emirates*United Arab Emirates dirham*Mohammad Al Gaz-External links:*...
has minted several commemorative coin
Commemorative coin
Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the...
s celebrating different events and rulers of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. For details, see Commemorative coins of the United Arab Emirates dirham
Commemorative coins of the United Arab Emirates dirham
Since 1980 the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has minted several commemorative coins. These coins celebrate different events and rulers of the United Arab Emirates.- References : Commemorative Coin Collection...
.
Issues with fraud
By August 2006 it became publicly known that the Philippine one pesoPhilippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
coin is the same size as one dirham. As 1 peso is only worth 8 fils, this has led to vending machine fraud in the U.A.E.
The Australian ten cent coin is the same size, shape and weight as the U.A.E. Dirham.
Pakistan's 5 Rupee coin, the Omani 50 Baisa coin and the Moroccan Dirham is also the same size as the U.A.E. one Dirham coin.
A falcon watermark is present on all dirham notes in order to prevent fraud.
Banknotes
In 1973, the U.A.E. Currency Board introduced notes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 1000 dirham. A second series of note was introduced in 1982 which omitted the 1 and 1000 dirham notes. 500 dirham notes were introduced in 1983, followed by 200 dirham in 1989. 1000 dirham notes were reintroduced in 2000. Banknotes are currently available in denominations of 5 (brown), 10 (green), 20 (light blue), 50 (purple), 100 (pink), 200 (green/brown), 500 (navy blue) and 1000 (greenish blue) dirham.The obverse texts are written in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
with numbers in Eastern Arabic numerals
Eastern Arabic numerals
The Eastern Arabic numerals are the symbols used to represent the Hindu-Arabic numeral system in conjunction with the Arabic alphabet in the countries of the Arab world....
; the reverse texts are in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
with numbers in Arabic numerals
Arabic numerals
Arabic numerals or Hindu numerals or Hindu-Arabic numerals or Indo-Arabic numerals are the ten digits . They are descended from the Hindu-Arabic numeral system developed by Indian mathematicians, in which a sequence of digits such as "975" is read as a numeral...
. The 200 dirham denomination is scarce as it was only produced in 1989; any circulating today come 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.
| 1982 Series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Main Color | Dimensions (mm) | Description | ||
| Obverse | Reverse | Obverse | Reverse | |||
 |
 |
5 Dirham | Brown | 157 x 67 | Sharjah Central Souq also known as Islamic Souq, the Blue Souq or the central market (souq meaning market in Arabic) | a landscape in the Northern Emirates |
 |
 |
10 Dirham | Green | 147 x 62 | The khanjar Khanjar The khanjar is the traditional dagger of Oman. It is similar to the Yemeni jambiya.The khanjar is curved and sharpened on both edges... (Arabic: خنجر) is the traditional dagger of Oman |
a pilot farm |
 |
 |
20 dirham | Blue | 149 x 63 | The front face of the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club | Traditional trading dhow Dhow Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a... (called sama'a) |
 |
 |
50 dirham | Purple | 151 x 64 | an oryx Oryx Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight... (غزال) |
pre-Islamic fort in Al Ain |
 |
 |
100 dirham | Pink | 155 x 66 | Fahidi Fort | Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai World Trade Centre The Dubai World Trade Centre is a business complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, built by H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It is located along Sheikh Zayed Road at the Trade Centre Roundabout... building |
 |
 |
200 dirham | Green / Brown | 157 x 67 | the Zayed Sports City | Central Bank of the UAE Building |
 |
 |
500 dirham | Navy blue | 159 x 68 | a falcon's head | The Jumeirah Mosque, one of the best known mosques in the UAE |
 |
 |
1000 dirham | Greenish-blue | 163 X 70 | Al Hosn Palace | Abu Dhabi Corniche |
See also
- Gulf rupeeGulf rupeeThe Gulf rupee, also known as the Persian Gulf rupee , was a currency used in the countries of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula between 1959 and 1966...
- Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the GulfCooperation Council for the Arab States of the GulfThe Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf , also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council , is a political and economic union of the Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf and constituting the Arabian Peninsula, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates...
- Economy of the United Arab EmiratesEconomy of the United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a rapidly diversifying, highly developed economy, based on various socioeconomic indicators such as GDP per capita, energy consumption per capita, and the HDI....