The UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry to launch new E-dirham design
Modern visuals to reflect UAE’s modernization process

Dubai, July 26, 2003: The Ministry of Finance (MOF) today announced that it is to launch a new design for the UAE E-dirham for the denominations of 100, 200, 300, 500, 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 dirhams. The attractive new visuals reflect not only the country’s traditions and cultural heritage but also the modern face of the UAE and the drive towards greater economic efficiency. The design will be changed periodically to reflect the dynamism of the country’s development process.

“The decision to change the design of the e-dirham was a result of the desire to reflect the changing and modernizing face of economic development in the UAE,” said H.E. Mr. Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Under Secretary for Revenues and Budgets at MOF. “We are very proud of our cultural wealth and history and we are also proud of the what we have so far achieved in building a modern state with high quality state-of-the-art infrastructure and services”.

The UAE E-Dirham, which was introduced in 2001 to replace traditional methods of fees collection for government services, is an integral part of MOF’s overall efforts to automate public sector financial transactions. It provides real time information and allows Ministries to more effectively undertake and record payment transactions, in addition to providing a modern and secure payment system for customers. The automation of payment transactions also allows for more accurate information about government fee payments and facilitates policy decision-making.

“The introduction of the E-Dirham has allowed us to raise the efficiency and productivity levels of government departments”, said Mr Al Bustani. “Government institutions are now able to free up their time to focus on the provision of services, rather than the collection of fees. This reflects our policy of aiming to improve public sector service provision in line with international best practice standards. The E-Dirham represents the official payment gateway in undertaking e-government transactions.”

E-Dirhams are now offered through 10 banks and their 115 branches nationwide. The card is rechargeable to suit client requirements and has added security features that prevent misuse and forgery. It can be deactivated in case of loss or theft by a 24 hours/7 days a week Tele e-Dirham Service that can be used for balance enquiries, change of PIN, as well as many other transactions.