The United Arab Emirates has officially approved a symbol representing its currency, the dirham.

Previously, the UAE's national currency, the dirham, did not have a unified abbreviated symbol, and in the media, the banking sector, and among the general public, it was commonly abbreviated as AED, Dhs, and Dh. Now, the Central Bank of the UAE has introduced a shortened version of the dirham symbol – analogous to how $ is used in the United States, £ in the United Kingdom, and € in Europe. It will now serve as the international symbol for the Emirates' national currency.

The UAE's national currency will utilize a stylized letter D with two horizontal curved lines.

In addition to the new standard symbol, the UAE has also introduced a new digital version of the dirham with the aim of further strengthening the Emirates' position as a global financial center.

The digital version of the currency will be issued in the last quarter of 2025 and will be based on blockchain technology. Through the digital dirham and a digital dirham wallet, individuals will be able to conduct cross-border payments, money transfers, as well as deposit and withdraw funds.

ORIENT news