mm-news-@dmin Officials say Digital Dirham will help improve payment efficiency, reduce costs
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has completed its first government transaction using the Digital Dirham, marking a major step towards digital finance and greater transparency in public spending. The UAE joins a small group of countries, including China, Nigeria, and the Bahamas, that have launched central bank digital currencies. The UAE Ministry of Finance and Dubai Finance carried out the payment through the mBridge platform in under two minutes.Today, Ministry of Finance & Dubai Finance marked a pivotal milestone in the history of government financial transformation in the UAE, as we executed the first government transaction using the Digital Dirham issued by the Central Bank of the UAE, representing the future of the… pic.twitter.com/gYRiTC1Euh
— Maktoum Bin Mohammed (@MaktoumMohammed) November 11, 2025
The move is part of the UAE Central Bank’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) programme, which aims to speed up digital adoption across the country’s financial system.
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, said using the Digital Dirham in government transactions would “enhance transparency and efficiency” in financial operations.
Officials said the Digital Dirham will help improve payment efficiency, reduce costs, and make transactions between government entities faster and more secure.
Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which are decentralised and not controlled by any authority, the Digital Dirham is issued and regulated by the UAE Central Bank — making it an official, government-backed digital currency.
