The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) unveiled a new symbol for the UAE Dirham in both physical and digital forms and set out progress on the Digital Dirham, its central bank digital currency initiative under the Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme launched in 2023. The update was issued alongside the CBUAE’s accession to the FX Global Code, making it the first central bank in the Arab region to join. The Digital Dirham is framed as a digital version of the national currency supported by amendments to the UAE’s central bank law, with the CBUAE stating it will be accepted as legal tender across payment outlets and channels alongside physical cash. Retail issuance is expected in the last quarter of 2025, with access routed via licensed financial institutions including banks, exchange houses, finance companies and fintech companies as use cases are activated. The CBUAE also described an integrated platform and Digital Dirham wallet designed to support retail, wholesale and cross-border payments, transfers, withdrawals, top-ups and redemption, and highlighted tokenisation and smart-contract functionality on a blockchain-based infrastructure. For the currency mark, the physical Dirham symbol is derived from the English name and incorporates two horizontal lines, while the Digital Dirham symbol adds a surrounding circle and uses the colours of the UAE flag.
Central Bank of the UAE 2025-03-27
Central Bank of the UAE unveils new Dirham symbol as it joins the FX Global Code and targets retail Digital Dirham issuance in Q4 2025
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) introduced a new symbol for the UAE Dirham and detailed progress on the Digital Dirham, its central bank digital currency under the Financial Infrastructure Transformation Programme. The Digital Dirham will be legal tender alongside physical cash, with retail issuance expected in late 2025 through licensed financial institutions. The CBUAE also joined the FX Global Code, becoming the first central bank in the Arab region to join.