How to Add the New UAE Dirham Symbol to Your Shopify Store

If you run a Shopify store in the UAE, you may have noticed that the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) introduced a new official symbol for the Dirham. Updating your store to display this symbol keeps you in line with the CBUAE’s guidance and gives your brand a more professional, localised feel. Here is a step-by-step guide to applying the new AED symbol in Shopify, plus how to do the same on WordPress, WooCommerce and any HTML website.

Step 1: Update Currency Formatting in Shopify

1. Log in to your Shopify admin dashboard.
2. Go to Settings → General → Store Defaults.
3. Click the three dots (⋮) next to Store currency (UAE Dirham AED).
4. Select Change currency formatting.
5. Locate both fields:
   • HTML with currency
   • HTML without currency
6. Remove the existing code and paste in the new code snippet below (ensure you add it to both fields).

<span class="custom-currency"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 324.19 290.45" style="width:1em;height:1em;vertical-align:middle;fill:currentColor;"><metadata>CEED Dirham Currency Symbol for Shopify | https://ceed.ae</metadata><path d="M324.19,196l-11.564-6.936-35.262.109c-4.33,19.185-12.015,36.87-24.215,52.285-52.205,65.958-150.381,44.876-223.958,48.532,2.849-4.499,5.761-8.708,7.763-13.727,1.821-4.565,5.237-16.258,5.237-20.763v-67.5c-.733-.266-1.196,1-1.5,1h-17c-.439,0-5.271-1.443-6.211-1.789C3.818,182.177-1.094,165.349.2,152c2.935,2.677,10.64,8,14.49,8h27.5v-29h-19.5c-2.219,0-9.470-3.846-11.523-5.477C1.752,118.046-.644,105.426.2,94c2.717,2.386,10.046,8,13.49,8h28.5V35.5c0-3.807-3.689-16.654-5.239-20.761L29.199,0c1.487.774,2.749,1.006,4.438,1.053,53.694,1.484,121.79-8.11,171.229,12.77,37.763,15.949,63.968,47.84,72.42,88.078.965.826,21.558-.319,25.406.096,11.676,1.26,18.623,12.809,21.497,23.003v13c-2.88-1.425-8.525-7-11.5-7h-31.5c-.266.733,1,1.196,1,1.5v25c0,.35-1.774,1.109.5,2.5h22c1.226,0,6.431,3.176,7.826,4.174,6.946,4.973,8.988,11.078,11.674,18.826v13ZM229.19,102c-3.228-25.477-14.198-52.622-35.081-68.419-31.382-23.739-71.896-17.869-108.919-18.581v87h144ZM233.268,131H85.19v29h148.078v-29ZM227.69,189c-46.154,1.783-94.583,0-141,0-.304,0-.767-1.266-1.5-1v87c41.025.035,87.048,4.95,118.024-27.476,12.247-12.821,24.852-40.392,25.994-58.02.202-3.118-1.042-.523-1.518-.505Z"/></svg></span> {{amount}}

Once updated, your store will display the AED with the new official symbol instead of the generic abbreviation.

Symbol not showing correctly? We can set it up for you.

Step 2: Follow the CBUAE Usage Guidelines

The CBUAE has published a Dirham symbol guideline. As reported by Gulf News, the key rules for online stores are:

• The symbol goes before the number (to the left of the price), never after it.
• It should match the height, weight and font style of the digits next to it. The snippet above uses 1em sizing and currentColor so it follows your price styling.
• Do not use it alongside “AED” or “Dh” in the same price, and do not alter its shape.
• Apply it consistently on product pages, collection pages, cart and checkout.

Adding the Dirham Symbol on WordPress, WooCommerce and HTML

The same SVG works outside Shopify. Here is how to use it on other platforms.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce lets you replace the currency symbol with a small filter. Add the snippet below using a code snippets plugin or your child theme’s functions.php, and paste the full SVG from Step 1 where indicated (without the {{amount}} part, which is Shopify-only).

add_filter( 'woocommerce_currency_symbol', 'ceed_aed_dirham_symbol', 10, 2 );
function ceed_aed_dirham_symbol( $symbol, $currency ) {
    if ( 'AED' === $currency ) {
        $symbol = '<span class="aed-symbol" role="img" aria-label="UAE Dirham">PASTE THE SVG FROM STEP 1 HERE</span>';
    }
    return $symbol;
}

Then go to WooCommerce → Settings → General → Currency options and set the currency position to Left or Left with space, so the symbol sits before the number as the CBUAE guideline requires. Test product pages, cart, checkout and your order emails. Many email clients do not display inline SVG, so check how prices appear in customer emails and PDF invoices.

WordPress (without WooCommerce)

For prices written into pages or posts, add a Custom HTML block and paste the SVG followed by the amount. If you show prices often, a simple shortcode that outputs the SVG saves repeating the code on every page.

Plain HTML websites

Place the SVG inline, directly before the price, and keep the width:1em;height:1em;fill:currentColor styling so it scales and colours with your text. Add role="img" and aria-label="UAE Dirham" to the wrapper so screen readers announce the currency rather than skipping it.

Is There a Unicode Character for the Dirham Symbol?

Yes, as of September 2026. The symbol has been encoded as U+20C3 (UAE DIRHAM SIGN) in Unicode 18.0, according to The National. In HTML, the character reference is ⃃.

The catch is support. Operating systems, keyboards and fonts each have to add the new character, and that takes time. Until the fonts your visitors use include it, the character may show as an empty box. For now, the SVG method above is the reliable choice for live stores. Once support is widespread, switching to the Unicode character will make prices easier to copy, search and read aloud.

Why This Matters

Updating your store is not just about looks. It signals to customers that your brand is up to date, trustworthy and aligned with UAE market standards. For e-commerce in the region, details like currency formatting help build the trust that leads to sales.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new UAE Dirham symbol?

The Central Bank of the UAE introduced an official symbol for the UAE Dirham (AED) in March 2025. It gives the Dirham a dedicated currency sign, in the same way the Dollar has $ and the Euro has €.

How do I add the UAE Dirham symbol to my Shopify store?

Go to Settings, General, Store defaults, click the three dots next to Store currency (UAE Dirham AED), select Change currency formatting, then paste the SVG code into both the HTML with currency and HTML without currency fields.

What is the HTML code for the UAE Dirham symbol?

The Unicode character is U+20C3, written in HTML as ⃃. Because font support is still rolling out, the inline SVG in this guide is the most reliable way to display the symbol on a live website today.

Does the Dirham symbol work on WooCommerce?

Yes. Use the woocommerce_currency_symbol filter to replace the AED symbol with the SVG, then set the currency position to Left in WooCommerce currency options. Check order emails, as many email clients do not display SVG.

Is it mandatory to use the new AED symbol on my store?

Check the CBUAE’s published Dirham symbol guideline for current requirements. Whether or not it applies to your business, using the official symbol correctly is good practice for UAE e-commerce and helps your store look local and trustworthy.

Weighing up platforms? Read our Shopify vs WordPress guide for the UAE.