Abu Dhabi, UAE – November 12, 2025: The UAE government has successfully executed its first national transaction using the Digital Dirham, marking a major milestone in the country’s journey toward a fully integrated digital economy.
The transaction was carried out by the Ministry of Finance and the Dubai Department of Finance, in close collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). Officials confirmed that the pilot was completed in less than two minutes via the mBridge platform, a multi-central bank digital currency (CBDC) settlement system developed under the CBUAE’s leadership.
Ahmed Ali Meftah, Executive Director of the Central Accounts Sector at the Department of Finance, said the pilot highlights the “efficiency and advanced interoperability” of the UAE’s digital financial infrastructure. Details of the transaction, including the product or service purchased, have not yet been disclosed.
Launched as part of the CBUAE’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme, the Digital Dirham project aims to accelerate digital payment adoption, strengthen financial inclusion, and cement the UAE’s position as a global hub for financial innovation.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the CBUAE, described the Digital Dirham as a “strategic pillar” of the nation’s digital economy agenda. “The first government-to-government transaction demonstrates the advanced technical infrastructure and high level of integration in the national financial system,” he said.
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, hailed the milestone as a “pivotal moment in the history of government financial transformation in the UAE” in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter).
The move reflects the UAE’s broader digital asset strategy, which focuses on building clear regulatory frameworks for stablecoins and digital currencies to foster institutional adoption and real-world utility.
The CBUAE’s Digital Dirham strategy, initiated in March 2023, aligns with the country’s ongoing efforts to ensure all stablecoins are fully backed by high-quality liquid assets and subject to independent audits—ensuring transparency, stability, and trust in the evolving digital financial ecosystem.
