AED - United Arab Emirates Dirham

Since its formation in 1973, the United Arab Emirates Central Bank has controlled the Dirham and maintained its value. Unlike most currencies, which move up and down depending on supply and demand, AED is fixed against the US Dollar. Through this fixed exchange rate, with a value of around 3.6725 AED per 1 USD, the Dirham is kept stable and is, therefore, considered a very safe choice for investment.

'Before the UAE was established in 1971, multiple currencies like the Qatari Riyal and the Bahraini Dinar circulated. The current Dirham emerged on May 19, 1973, to replace the Qatar and Dubai Riyal on a par value basis. Due to its convenient convertibility, people consider it a highly liquid currency.

The AED stands out due to its stylish banknotes and coins. Every banknote features important landmarks, such as the Al Jahili Fort, the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Another interesting fact is that unlike most coins, which are round, the UAE’s 50 fils coin has a distinctive curved heptagon (seven-sided) shape.

The United Arab Emirates Dirham currency symbol is د.إ, short for Dirham Emirati in Arabic. Now there’s no stylized international symbol for it, like we have for Euro or INR, it usually appears as AED in international commerce.