UAE dirham symbol joins Unicode, clearing path to phone keyboards

Dubai: The UAE dirham symbol has been incorporated into Unicode 18.0, providing technology firms with a uniform method to exhibit it on phones, computers, apps, and websites. The symbol, denoted as U+20C3, will allow software to recognize it. The Unicode Consortium announced the addition, highlighting the dirham sign as one of the release's most anticipated new characters.

The Maldivian rufiyaa and Omani rial signs were also included in the update. These three symbols previously required approval from their respective monetary authorities for public use. Unicode stated that the absence of standard codes had previously restricted their utilization across digital platforms, enabling vendors to incorporate support for these symbols.

However, device manufacturers, operating systems, font providers, and app developers must add support through their respective updates. Keyboard manufacturers will also determine how users select the symbol. Consequently, a resident might observe the sign in an updated app or website before it appears on their phone's keyboard. While Unicode has provided no specific date for the dirham sign's availability across all devices, it has offered guidance for businesses and developers to use a common character in prices, invoices, and other financial text.

The Central Bank of the UAE introduced the official dirham symbol on March 27, 2025, with its design featuring the letter "D" from dirham and two horizontal lines inspired by the UAE flag, symbolizing financial and monetary stability. Businesses and developers will need to implement the standard code in their software, as some older devices may never gain native support if their manufacturers cease providing updates.

The Unicode 18.0 update adds 13,007 characters, including nine new emoji characters, bringing the total number of characters in the standard to 172,808.