United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
د.إ. · Official currency of United Arab Emirates
AED at a glance
Every fact on this page is drawn from Central Bank of the UAE or another primary source — see the 7 sources cited below.
| Currency | United Arab Emirates Dirham |
|---|---|
| ISO 4217 code | AED · number 784 |
| Symbol | د.إ. |
| Minor unit | 1 AED = 100 fils |
| Used in | 1 country or territory |
| Pegged to | USD · 3.6725 AED per USD (implied midpoint of CBUAE's own published commitment)band ±0.0005 AED (~0.014%) around 3.6725 — derived from CBUAE's published buy/sell rates, not a separately announced percentage band · since 1997 |
| Central bank | Central Bank of the UAE |
| Official rates | Central Bank of the UAE → |
| Introduced | 1973 |
Where the United Arab Emirates Dirham is used
- United Arab Emirates (The)
Exchange rate regime Pegged
3.6725 AED per USD · band CBUAE buys AED at 3.673 and sells at 3.672 per USD (a ±0.0005 AED, ~0.014%, spread around the 3.6725 midpoint) — published as two-sided buy/sell commitments, not a separately announced percentage band
The United Arab Emirates operates a conventional fixed exchange-rate policy: the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) commits to buy dirhams against US dollars at 3.673 and sell at 3.672, holding the currency close to 3.6725 dirhams per US dollar. A Monetary Base Cover requirement in federal law backs the peg with foreign-currency reserves worth at least 70 per cent of the Monetary Base.
AED is pegged to USD
3.6725 AED per USD (implied midpoint of CBUAE's own published commitment) · band ±0.0005 AED (~0.014%) around 3.6725 — derived from CBUAE's published buy/sell rates, not a separately announced percentage band · since 1997
CBUAE states verbatim: "the CBUAE commits to buy UAE Dirhams against US Dollars from the market at a rate of 3.673, and sell UAE Dirhams against US Dollars at a rate of 3.672." 3.6725 is the midpoint of that published buy/sell pair.
About the United Arab Emirates Dirham
The United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) is the official currency of the United Arab Emirates, written د.إ. and issued by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). One dirham divides into 100 fils. The dirham has traded under a fixed exchange-rate policy against the US dollar for decades, with the CBUAE holding it close to 3.6725 dirhams per dollar through published buy and sell commitments to the market.
The CBUAE maintains its peg by committing to buy dirhams against US dollars at a rate of 3.673 and sell them at 3.672, a narrow spread centred on 3.6725. Federal law backs this commitment: the Monetary Base Cover requirement in Decretal Federal Law No. (14) of 2018 obliges the CBUAE to hold foreign-currency reserves worth at least 70 per cent of the Monetary Base, and the CBUAE's own Base Rate tracks the US Federal Reserve's rate to keep the peg stable.
The dirham dates to 19 May 1973, when the newly formed UAE Currency Board issued the country's first national banknotes and coins under Union Law No. (2) of 1973, replacing the Bahraini dinar and the Qatar and Dubai riyal used across the emirates. Union Law No. (10) of 1980 replaced the Currency Board with the Central Bank of the UAE, which issued a new banknote series in three stages during 1982; the old Currency Board notes were withdrawn and lost legal-tender status by 1989.
In 2025 the CBUAE introduced a dedicated currency symbol for the dirham, a stylised letter D whose curves draw on the lines of the UAE flag and on Arabic calligraphy styles such as Thuluth and Diwani. The design guideline, published 27 May 2025, presents the symbol as a graphic mark for use across banking, retail and digital applications; it has no Unicode codepoint, so the Arabic abbreviation د.إ remains the currency's standard written form.
Banknotes circulate in denominations from 5 to 1,000 dirhams and coins from 1 fils to 1 dirham, per the CBUAE. The 1,000-dirham note, the highest circulating denomination, was named Banknote of the Year for 2023 in the CBUAE's own account of its history. On 27 November 2024 the CBUAE became the first central bank in the Arab world to sign the FX Global Code's Statement of Commitment, and that year it carried out its first cross-border Digital Dirham payment on the mBridge platform.
AED coins & banknotes
- 1 fils
- 5 fils
- 10 fils
- 25 fils
- 50 fils
- 1 dirham
- 5 dirhams
- 10 dirhams
- 20 dirhams
- 50 dirhams
- 100 dirhams
- 200 dirhams
- 500 dirhams
- 1,000 dirhams
AED quick facts
- The CBUAE commits to buy dirhams against US dollars at AED 3.673 and sell at AED 3.672, a spread centred on the widely quoted rate of 3.6725 per dollar.
- Federal law requires the CBUAE's foreign-currency reserves to cover at least 70% of the UAE's Monetary Base, backing the dirham's fixed exchange rate.
- The UAE Currency Board issued the dirham on 19 May 1973, replacing the Bahraini dinar and the Qatar and Dubai riyal across the seven emirates.
- On 27 November 2024 the CBUAE became the first central bank in the Arab world to sign the FX Global Code's Statement of Commitment.
- The CBUAE published Version 1.0 of the dirham's new currency-symbol guideline on 27 May 2025, blending the UAE flag's lines with Arabic calligraphy.
AED frequently asked questions
Is the UAE dirham pegged to the US dollar?
Yes. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) runs a fixed exchange-rate policy, committing to buy dirhams against US dollars at AED 3.673 and sell them at AED 3.672, a spread centred on AED 3.6725 per dollar. Federal law also requires the CBUAE's foreign-currency reserves to cover at least 70 per cent of the UAE's Monetary Base, backing the peg's credibility.
What is the symbol for the UAE dirham?
The dirham's Arabic abbreviation is د.إ, and its ISO 4217 code is AED (numeric 784). In 2025 the Central Bank of the UAE introduced a dedicated "D" currency symbol, inspired by the UAE flag and by Arabic calligraphy styles such as Thuluth and Diwani, published as a graphic mark rather than a Unicode character. One dirham equals 100 fils.
Who issues the UAE dirham?
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) issues the dirham. It succeeded the UAE Currency Board, which had issued the country's first banknotes and coins on 19 May 1973, when Union Law No. (10) of 1980 established the CBUAE as the federal institution responsible for the dirham and the UAE's monetary system.
What banknotes and coins are used in the United Arab Emirates?
UAE banknotes circulate in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 dirhams, and coins in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 fils plus 1 dirham, according to the Central Bank of the UAE. The current banknote series replaced the original Currency Board notes in three stages during 1982, after the CBUAE's establishment in 1980.
Explore AED
Facts on this page are sourced from Central Bank of the UAE and other primary references (7 sources). Rates are mid-market and for information only.
Sources for this AED profile
7 primary sources behind the facts above, each listed with the sections of this page it is cited for. Links open on the publisher's own site.
- Central Bank of the UAE www.centralbank.ae/en/our-operations/monetary-policy-and-domestic-markets/how-the-monetary-system-works/ Cited for: Exchange rate regime · Quick facts · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of the UAE www.centralbank.ae/en/our-operations/monetary-policy-and-domestic-markets/ Cited for: Exchange rate regime · Quick facts · About
- Central Bank of the UAE www.centralbank.ae/en/museum/ Cited for: Coins & banknotes · Introduced · Minor unit · Quick facts · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of the UAE www.centralbank.ae/en/our-operations/currency-and-coins/ Cited for: Coins & banknotes · Quick facts · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of the UAE www.centralbank.ae/en/about/about-cbuae/our-history/ Cited for: Introduced · Quick facts · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of the UAE www.centralbank.ae/media/e4ebcgtb/the_guidelines_for_the_national_currency_symbol_uae_dirham_english.pdf Cited for: Introduced · Quick facts · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of the UAE www.centralbank.ae/en/about/about-cbuae/ Cited for: Where it is used