Cash
Carry some dirhams for taxis that prefer notes, small cafés, tips and markets. You do not need a large cash float in Dubai or Abu Dhabi: cards cover most malls and hotels. Keep an emergency amount separate from daily spending.
AEDUnited Arab Emirates
UAE dirham — Dubai currency and exchange rate
The UAE Dirham (AED, د.إ) is the currency of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Emirates. Convert pounds and euros with an indicative rate, then see cash, card, ATM and buying-dirham notes — Wayfare does not sell currency.
1 GBP = 4.95 AED1 AED = 0.202 GBP· Demo data
Currency Converter
Demo dataSample rate1 GBP = 4.95 AED
Indicative sample rates for demonstration — not live market data.
Quick conversions
Pounds to uae dirham
Tap an amount to fill the converter.
Exchange rate
GBP to AED
Indicative rates for travel planning — not dealing quotes.
Demo data
GBP → AED
1 GBP
4.95 AED
1 AED
0.202 GBP
EUR/AED1 EUR = 4.2518 AED
USD/AED1 USD = 3.664 AED
Indicative sample rates for demonstration — not live market data.
Plan
Travel budget calculator
A simple estimate of trip spend in pounds and uae dirham. Not an official recommended budget — the travel money planner is the full trip-planning product.
Demo data
Total GBP
£1,400.00
Estimated AED
AED 6,930.00
Estimate only — using demo data. Actual rates and fees can vary by provider, so the amount you actually spend can differ. For a cash versus card split, open the travel money planner.
Travel money
Travel money in the UAE
Practical choices for cash, cards, ATMs and exchange when you're using uae dirham.
Cards
Contactless and chip-and-PIN are widely accepted in Dubai and Abu Dhabi — hotels, shopping centres, metro, many restaurants. Check your card’s foreign-transaction fees before you rely on it. Away from main centres, have a little cash ready. Sketch a cash-versus-card split on the travel money planner if you want a fuller trip budget.
ATMs
Cash machines are common at airports, malls and on the street. Withdraw AED when you need it, and read any operator fee on screen before you confirm. If the machine offers to charge you in pounds, compare that with a local-currency (AED) withdrawal — that home-currency offer is dynamic currency conversion. Use the ATM withdrawal calculator for a rough cost before you travel.
Buying and exchanging dirhams
You can buy UAE dirhams in the UK before you fly, exchange after you land, or withdraw from an ATM in the Emirates. Banks, bureaux and airport desks set their own rates, fees and stock — Wayfare does not sell notes or list shops near you. Compare how many AED you would receive for a set pound amount after charges, then use the Travel Money hub for a fuller buying checklist.
Dynamic currency conversion
If an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in pounds rather than dirhams, the operator is applying its own conversion (DCC). Choosing AED usually keeps the clearer total. Compare the on-screen figures before you confirm — neither path is always cheaper.
Fees, margins and denominations
Notes commonly seen include 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 dirhams; coins cover fils and 1 dirham. Providers earn through a rate margin, a commission, or both. Compare the amount you would actually receive, not only a headline rate. Browse other published currencies in the currency explorer if your trip uses more than AED.
Plan a trip budgetEstimate an ATM withdrawalHow to buy travel money
Facts
UAE Dirham at a glance
Code, symbol and where AED is used.
- Currency
- UAE Dirham
- Code
- AED
- Symbol
- د.إ
- Used in
- United Arab Emirates
- Decimal places
- 2
Guide
About the UAE Dirham
Key facts about AED, how its rate is set and how to read a quote.
What is the UAE Dirham?
The UAE Dirham — also called the Emirati dirham — is the official currency of the United Arab Emirates. Its ISO code is AED. One dirham is 100 fils. In Arabic it is often written د.إ; in English you will also see Dh or Dhs.
The same notes and coins are legal tender in every emirate: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. You do not change money when you travel between them.
Dubai currency — dirham, not dinar
If you are looking up Dubai currency, the money in your hand is the dirham. Hotels, malls, taxis and cafés price in AED. A few tourist desks may also show a pound or dollar figure as a convenience quote; that is not a second official currency.
Searches for a “Dubai dinar” usually mix the UAE up with countries that do use a dinar, such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq or Jordan. The Emirates have used the dirham since 1973. AED is the code banks and converters use for it.
Why pound-to-dirham rates move
The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so AED barely moves against USD. What you see in GBP/AED (and often EUR/AED) is mostly the pound or euro moving against the dollar, not a freely floating dirham.
That peg can make a UAE budget easier to sketch than a floating currency, but a bureau, card or ATM still applies its own dealing rate plus any fee or margin. Figures on this page are indicative for planning — not the official peg and not a dealing quote.
Reading GBP/AED and EUR/AED
Pairs are written base-first. In GBP/AED the pound is the base, so the number is how many dirhams one pound buys: a sample rate of 4.95 means £1 ≈ 4.95 AED. EUR/AED works the same way for euros.
To convert pounds, multiply by the GBP/AED rate; to go back, divide dirhams by the same rate. Use the converter on this page — or the dedicated currency converter — for other amounts. The result is indicative only, not a dealing quote.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common questions about the UAE Dirham and converting to it.
What currency is used in Dubai?
Dubai uses the UAE Dirham (AED), the same currency as the rest of the United Arab Emirates. You do not need a different currency for Abu Dhabi or the other emirates.
Is the UAE Dirham the same as Dubai currency?
Yes. “Dubai currency” usually means the UAE Dirham. Abu Dhabi and the other emirates use the same notes and coins — there is no separate Dubai-only currency.
What is the UAE Dirham?
The UAE Dirham — or Emirati dirham — is the official currency of the United Arab Emirates. Its code is AED and its common symbol is د.إ. One dirham equals 100 fils.
What does AED stand for?
AED is the ISO 4217 code for the United Arab Emirates dirham. Banks, cards and currency converters use it so they are not confused with other dirhams, such as the Moroccan dirham (MAD).
Is Dubai’s currency a dinar?
No. The UAE uses the dirham, not a dinar. Dinar is the unit in countries such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan. If you see “Dubai dinar”, that is almost always a mix-up with the dirham.
How do I convert GBP to AED?
Multiply the pound amount by the GBP/AED rate. The converter on this page shows an indicative result — not what a bureau or card will pay out. Open the full currency converter if you want to try other published pairs.
How do I convert AED to GBP?
Divide the dirham amount by the GBP/AED rate, or swap the currencies in the converter on this page. The figure is indicative for planning, not a dealing quote.
Where can I buy UAE dirhams?
Common options are a UK bank or bureau before you travel, an exchange desk after you arrive, or a foreign-card ATM in the UAE. Stock, hours and fees vary by provider. Wayfare does not sell dirhams — compare the amount received after charges, and use the Travel Money hub for a buying checklist.
Should I take cash to Dubai?
A modest amount of dirhams is useful for taxis, tips and smaller vendors. You do not usually need to carry most of a Dubai or Abu Dhabi trip in cash. Keep a small emergency amount separate and use a card where terminals work.
Can I use a card in Dubai or the UAE?
In many hotels, malls, restaurants and on the metro, yes — contactless is common. Check foreign-transaction fees. Smaller shops may still prefer cash.
Can I withdraw AED from an ATM?
Yes, if your card works abroad. Withdraw AED, read any fee on screen, and compare a pounds conversion offer carefully before you accept it. Estimate cost first with the ATM withdrawal tool.
Should I choose AED or GBP on a card or ATM?
When a terminal or cash machine offers to charge you in pounds, that is often dynamic currency conversion. Choosing AED usually keeps the clearer total — compare the on-screen figures before you confirm. Neither option is always cheaper.
How much money do I need for a UAE trip?
There is no single right amount. Start from daily spend × days, then decide a cash share for taxis and tips. Use the travel budget sketch on this page, then the travel money planner for a fuller cash-versus-card plan.
Why can the rate I receive differ from Wayfare’s figure?
Wayfare shows an indicative sample or reference rate for planning. A bank, bureau, card or ATM uses its own dealing rate and may add a margin or fee. Always compare the dirhams you would actually receive.
Next
Continue with Wayfare tools
Use AED with the converter, planner and ATM tools, or open another published currency.
Wayfare tools
- Currency converterConvert any published pair with the full converter.
- Travel moneyCash, cards, exchange and fees before you go.
- Travel money plannerPlan a trip budget and cash versus card split.
- ATM withdrawalEstimate local cash and optional fees abroad.
- Currency explorerBrowse published destination currencies.