The standard ISO 4217 code for the Kuwaiti dinar is KWD.
ISO 4217 assigns three-letter alphabetic codes to currencies so banks, payment systems, exchanges and international businesses can identify them consistently. In KWD, “KW” refers to Kuwait and “D” refers to dinar. The code is distinct from the local symbol or abbreviation KD, which may appear on prices and banknotes.
The Kuwaiti dinar was introduced in 1961, replacing the Gulf rupee that had circulated in the region. It is subdivided into 1,000 fils, an unusually fine subdivision compared with currencies divided into 100 minor units.
KWD is also different from KRW, the code for the South Korean won. The distractors KWR, KUD and KDT are not the standard active ISO 4217 alphabetic code for Kuwait’s currency. ISO 4217 also assigns KWD the numeric code 414 and specifies three decimal places for its minor-unit precision.