What currency is used officially in the United Arab Emirates?

The UAE dirham is the official currency of the United Arab Emirates.

The currency is commonly abbreviated AED and is divided into 100 fils. The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates issues the country’s banknotes and coins. The dirham replaced the Qatar and Dubai riyal in 1973, shortly after the UAE federation was established.

The UAE dirham has been pegged to the United States dollar since 1980, and its modern exchange-rate arrangement has maintained a fixed rate of about 3.6725 dirhams per US dollar. This stability is especially significant for a country whose economy is closely connected to international trade, aviation, tourism, and energy markets.

Travelers sometimes confuse the UAE dirham with nearby Gulf currencies such as the Saudi riyal, Qatari riyal, or Bahraini dinar. They are separate national currencies, even though all are used in neighboring countries.