The UAE's official dirham symbol, unveiled by the Central Bank last year, has moved a step closer to appearing on smartphone and computer keyboards. The Unicode Consortium, the body responsible for standardising digital characters worldwide, has formally approved the symbol for inclusion in Unicode version 18.0, due for release in September 2026.
The approval means major tech firms — including Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft — can now integrate the symbol into their operating systems, digital keyboards and software. Unicode has cautioned, however, that approval does not guarantee an immediate rollout: many device makers, particularly for older phones, may delay updates or never provide them at all.
Under the Central Bank of the UAE's style guidelines, the symbol is designated to replace the caret (^) on the number 6 key across keyboard layouts. Its physical design draws on the UAE flag, while a separate digital-dirham version places the symbol inside a circle in the flag's colours, representing security and continuity for the country's digital economy.
The move is part of the CBUAE's broader Financial Infrastructure Transformation Programme, aimed at modernising the UAE's financial system and rolling out the Digital Dirham. The UAE has also recently joined the FX Global Code, becoming the first central bank in the Arab region to do so.
Analysts note that despite this technical milestone, everyday users may still have to wait well into 2027 to see the symbol on their own phone keyboards, since the pace of adoption depends on each manufacturer's own update schedule.