The 500 dirham (AED) banknote from the Central Bank of the UAE was the winner of the Best New Banknote Award.

This polymer-based banknote, the fifth in the UAE’s new all-polymer series, was printed on De La Rue’s SAFEGUARD® substrate by Oumolat, and showcases the UAE’s vision of leadership in climate protection and building a sustainable future. It also highlights the UAE’s culture and tourism landmarks. Main motifs that convey these messages are the Terra Sustainability Pavilion in Expo City Dubai, the Museum of the Future in Dubai or the iconic Emirates Towers and Burj Khalifa.

Advanced security features include a multi-coloured, registered KINEGRAM COLORS® stripe from KURZ, which is applied over a large window in the polymer substrate and a second window with a portrait of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan. A similar stripe featured on the AED 1,000, which was issued in 2022 and won the Best New Banknote Award in 2023.