ArabianCoins Network

Coins of the United Arab Emiratesfrom the Trucial States to the modern dirham

Before federation, the sheikhdoms of the Trucial Coast used the Indian rupee and later the Gulf rupee. Qatar & Dubai issued their own riyal series in 1966 — a brief two-issuer coinage that ended when the UAE was proclaimed on 2 December 1971.

The Federation's first coins appeared in AH 1393 (1973): bronze fils in four denominations and a cupro-nickel dirham. The series remained remarkably stable through the 1980s, with major design updates arriving only in 1995. Today, the UAE's commemorative program is among the most active in the Gulf, marking everything from national days to Expo 2020.

Trucial States (pre-1971)Qatar & Dubai (1966–1973)Federation Fils (1973–1989)Modern Dirham (1995–present)Commemoratives

The Trucial States — seven sheikhdoms along the Persian Gulf coast — used Indian currency until 1966, when Qatar & Dubai introduced a joint riyal series. That coinage lasted only until federation in 1971. The UAE's own currency launched in AH 1393 (1973) with a clean decimal system: 100 fils to the dirham. The bronze 1, 5, and 10 fils and the cupro-nickel 25 and 50 fils remained virtually unchanged for two decades. The 1 dirham, featuring the iconic jug motif, is one of the most recognized circulation coins in the Middle East. Since 1998, the UAE has issued dozens of commemorative dirhams — from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to Expo 2020 — making it one of the most actively collected modern series in Arabian numismatics.