The Central Bank of the UAE’s Digital Dirham Primer outlines a bold roadmap for implementing a wholesale and retail CBDC — unlocking new efficiencies in cross-border payments, trade finance, and programmable money ecosystems.
1. Dual CBDC Model – The UAE plans both wholesale and retail Digital Dirham deployments, leveraging DLT for real-time settlement, Smart Contracts, and interoperability across jurisdictions.
2. Cross-Border Synergy – Initiatives like mBridge connect the UAE to other central banks, enabling instant, low-cost cross-border settlements and advancing regional economic integration.
3. Innovation in Use Cases – From Trade Finance digitization to tokenized Securities settlement, the Digital Dirham aims to become a programmable asset supporting RWA and digital asset markets.