Hi, Sunil here to talk about money in Dubai

There is plenty of money in Dubai, no question about that.

The locals are filthy rich and the expats are running the corporate show, raking in tax free income year over year.

Most transactions are done using the UAE Dirham, also known as the Dirham or Arab Emirate Dirham.

This is designated by either the symbols “AED” or “DHS”. Each is made up of 100 Fils (the equivalent of cents).

The Dirham is pegged to the US Dollar (as of 2009). As the US currency goes, so goes toe Dirham.

The US Dollar, or the “greenback” is the second most used currency in Dubai.

Many places accept this as legal tender.

However, you will find exchange houses on every corner so redeeming dollars for Dirhams is not a difficult task.

In addition to exchange houses and banks, many hotels will also exchange your currency.

Exchange houses give the best deals in my experience and hotels give the worst.


As of 2009, cash is the preferred method of conducting transactions, followed by check and then the growing usage of credit cards. People carry plenty of money in Dubai in their pockets.