100 Dirhams

The P#15 series was the UAE Central Bank's second substantive issue, replacing the 1982 notes as the country moved to tighten security standards across the higher denominations. The 100 Dirham note in particular circulated heavily through the 1990s Gulf trade corridor — the UAE's position as a re-export hub meant these notes passed through far more hands, and far more countries, than their domestic economy alone would suggest. High-denomination notes from this period frequently turn up with unusually heavy soiling relative to lower values, a direct consequence of wholesale market use in Deira and the northern emirates.

The security thread on this issue is a simple embedded metallic strip, already considered minimal by the mid-1990s standards set by De La Rue and other major security printers. The UAE upgraded again shortly after this series closed.