Abu Dhabi: The new Dh50 polymer banknote is an official currency, the UAE Central Bank said on Thursday.
The banknote, released as part of UAE’s Year of the 50th celebrations, has been distributed to banks and exchange houses, the regulator said.
The new banknote is made of polymer, which other central banks have found to be longer-lasting and more environmentally-friendly than paper banknotes. The design of this new banknote contains distinctive aesthetic characteristics, with different shades of violet, fluorescent blue marks of the UAE nation brand in the centre, and drawings and inscriptions created using advanced intaglio printing techniques. The note also has markings in Braille and has more security features than the regular notes.
What makes the polymer banknote better?
Paper banknotes, at the end of their lifecycle, are shredded and placed in a landfill. Polymer notes are shredded, granulated, and reused in manufacturing everyday plastic materials.
13 features that make the new banknote special
- It has a portrait of the late Sheikh Zayed
- It contains the Hijri year of printing (1443)
- Serial numbers in English, printed horizontally in black magnetic ink
- Serial numbers in Arabic, printed vertically in red ink
- UAE’s Nation Brand
- Map of the UAE
- A portrait of UAE founding fathers
- Signature of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the Central Bank board of directors
- An image of Wahat Al Karama
- A circular see-through printed design that fits perfectly to its corresponding design on the front of the banknote when exposed to direct light
- Touch markings in Braille
- Gregorian year 2021
- A picture of the Etihad Museum
