What is the currency of the United Arab Emirates?

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

Also called the Emirati dirham, it has the ISO code AED and is divided into 100 fils. The currency is issued by the Central Bank of the UAE, and its banknotes range from 5 to 1,000 dirhams. The abbreviation Dh or the Arabic form د.إ may appear on prices and financial documents.

The dirham was introduced in 1973, shortly after the United Arab Emirates was formed in 1971. It replaced the Qatar and Dubai riyal, which had circulated in the area before the federation adopted a common currency.

The UAE dirham is pegged to the U.S. dollar at approximately 3.6725 dirhams per dollar. That fixed relationship makes the currency easier to use for international commerce and helps distinguish it from nearby currencies with similar names, including the Saudi riyal, Qatari riyal, and Kuwaiti dinar.