Dubai: The UAE dirham symbol has been added to Unicode 18.0, giving technology companies a standard way to display it across phones, computers, apps and websites.
Unicode has assigned the symbol U+20C3, a unique code that software can recognise. The change brings the dirham sign a step closer to being used in digital text alongside other currency symbols.
In its September 16 announcement, the Unicode Consortium described the dirham sign as one of the release’s “most anticipated new characters”. The Maldivian rufiyaa and Omani rial signs were also added in the same update.
The three symbols had already been approved for public use by their respective monetary authorities. Unicode said the lack of standardised codes had limited their use across digital platforms. “Vendors are now able to implement support for these symbols,” the organisation said.
When will it appear on your phone?
The update does not automatically add a dirham key to every phone or computer. Device makers, operating systems, font providers and app developers must add support through their own updates. Keyboard makers will also decide how users select the symbol.
A resident could therefore see the sign in an updated app or website before it appears on their phone’s keyboard. In separate guidance on currency symbols, Unicode said some older devices may never gain native support if their makers stop providing updates. It has given no date for when the dirham sign will be available across all devices.
The standard code gives businesses and developers a common character to use in prices, invoices and other financial text. Until software supports it, some may continue to use an image of the sign or a font designed for their own platform.
The Central Bank of the UAE unveiled the official dirham symbol on March 27, 2025. According to Unicode’s specification, its design takes the letter “D” from dirham and adds two horizontal lines inspired by the UAE flag. The lines also represent the currency’s financial and monetary stability.
The Central Bank has published guidance showing how the symbol could appear on the number 6 key. Its placement on keyboards will depend on the companies that make them.
Unicode 18.0 adds 13,007 characters, including nine new emoji characters. That brings the total number of characters in the standard to 172,808, according to the consortium.
Source: gulfnews