UAE’s new Dhs1,000 banknote issued, highlights space ambitions, energy diversification

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has issued a new banknote of Dhs1,000 denomination, made of polymer for circulation in the market.

Read: CBUAE issues new Dhs1,000 banknote

The new banknote will be available at banks and exchange houses starting from April 10, according to the state news agency, WAM.

It is marked by different shades of brown – a throwback to the Dhs 1,000 banknote currently in circulation, making it easy for the public to identify.

The fluorescent blue, which represents the UAE nation brand in the centre, and drawings and inscriptions were created using advanced intaglio printing techniques.

Features of the new banknote

The front of the new banknote depicts the image of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, next to a model of a space shuttle, inspired by his meeting with the pioneers of the American space agency NASA in 1974.

This ambition was achieved in the Emirates Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe’ journey in 2021, and is reflected in the new banknote with an image of the “Emirates Mission to Explore Mars – the Hope Probe” at the top of the space shuttle. The image of an astronaut was added as a security mark that appears on the front side of the banknote, to express the arrival of the first Emirati astronaut to space.

The back of the new note has an image of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, which will play a key role in diversifying energy sources in the country and reducing carbon emissions.

To combat counterfeiting of the national currency, the new banknote features advanced security features that include modern technologies such as Spark Flow Dimensions, used for the first time in notes circulated in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Furthermore, the UAE is the first in the MENA region to issue the largest multi-coloured Kinegram surface applied foil stripe in the new issue.

In addition to the distinct visual effects in terms of security and design, the CBUAE added prominent symbols in Braille to help blind and visually impaired consumers to identify the note’s value.

The new note will be in circulation alongside the current Dhs1,000 note.

In other news, CBUAE has partnered with G42 Cloud and R3 to launch its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) strategy, one of the nine initiatives of the central bank’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme.

Read: CBUAE unveils Central Bank Digital Currency Strategy

The first phase of the initiative is expected to complete over the next 12 to 15 months.

CBUAE Central Bank Digital Currency strategy launched#WamNews https://t.co/X3vE8SHMGj pic.twitter.com/vAM0mc6JMe

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) March 23, 2023