If you’ve been typing “AED” or “Dhs” every time you mention a price, that’s about to change. The Unicode Consortium, the California-based body that standardises digital characters for billions of devices globally, has officially approved the UAE dirham symbol for encoding as U+20C3 in Unicode version 18.0, scheduled for release in September 2026.
A Milestone For The UAE’s Financial Identity
The approval means the dirham now joins the ranks of the dollar, pound and euro as a currency with its own dedicated, universally recognised digital symbol.
What Changes For Residents
With Unicode’s sign-off, major technology companies, Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung among them, can begin integrating the dirham symbol into their operating systems, keyboards, payment terminals and apps. The Unicode Consortium called the move a “significant milestone for financial and commercial activity” in the region.
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has already issued implementation guidance to keyboard manufacturers and software developers. According to its style guidelines, the symbol is designated to replace the caret (^) on the number 6 key across keyboard layouts.
Don’t Expect It Overnight
While the approval clears the technical and regulatory path, Unicode has cautioned that adoption won’t be instant. Device manufacturers, it noted, don’t always push updates promptly, particularly on older phones, so the rollout across everyday keyboards is expected to unfold gradually through 2026 and 2027.
Also Read: UAE Just Unveiled Its Dirham Symbol For Both Physical & Digital Forms!
Part Of A Bigger Digital Push
The symbol’s approval sits alongside the UAE’s wider Digital Dirham initiative and its recent move to join the FX Global Code, making the CBUAE the first central bank in the Arab region to do so. Together, these steps are part of a broader strategy to cement the UAE’s position as a global financial and digital payments hub.
For now, the dirham symbol is already appearing on select apps, websites and in-store signage, a preview of what your keyboard will look like once the update reaches your device.
Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/ Juan Roballo from Juan Ramon Roballo’s Images