UAE issues new Dh1,000 banknotes for circulation

The new notes, made of eco-friendly polymer, will be available at banks and exchange houses from April 10, the UAE Central Bank says

The front and back of the new banknote. Photo: CBUAE

The UAE Central Bank on Thursday issued new Dh1,000 banknotes that will be available at banks and exchange houses from next Monday.

Made of eco-friendly polymer material, the new banknote was first unveiled In December in celebration of the Emirates 51st National Day.

It bears images along with cultural and development symbols that reflect the global achievements of the UAE, which boosted its position among developed countries in a record time, the Central Bank said in a statement.

The design “embodies the forward-looking vision and ambitions that has become a reality for the UAE as a leader in space exploration”.

“The issuance of this new banknote … is aligned with the leadership's declaration of 2023 as the year of sustainability, and embodies the features of the new phase that the UAE has begun in its developmental journey and ambitious future,” Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the UAE Central Bank, said.

“The new banknote features unique technical characteristics to keep pace with global standards and technologies with the aim of making the dirham an international currency used worldwide."

The front depicts the image of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, next to a model of a space shuttle, in line with the UAE's space ambitions.

"This ambition was ... embodied in the new banknote by placing an image of the 'Emirates Mission to Explore Mars - the Hope Probe' at the top of the space shuttle, and the image of an astronaut added as a security mark that appears on the front side of the banknote, to express the arrival of the first Emirati astronaut to the space," the Central Bank said.

The back of the note features an image of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, which will play a key role in diversifying energy sources in the country and reducing carbon emissions.

The Central Bank has also added prominent symbols in Braille to help blind and visually impaired consumers to identify the banknote’s value.

The new banknotes will be in circulation alongside the current Dh1,000 note, whose value is guaranteed by the UAE law.