The Dinar (in Arabic: دينار) is Bahrain's legal tender. It is divided into 1,000 fils and its ISO 4217 code is BHD. The word "dinar" derives from the Latin term "denarius". In 1965 the dinar was introduced for the first time to replace the Gulf rupee, with an exchange rate of 10 rupees for dinar.
In 1965 the first coins were minted in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 fils. In 1992 a new series of coins was minted, removing the 1 fils denomination and adding the 500 fils denomination. There are also two versions of this series, one prior to 2001 in which the official name of the country is 'State of Bahrain', and another later in which the official name is 'Kingdom of Bahrain'.
Bahraini Dinar banknotes and coins in use
Currently, ½, 1, 5, 10, 20 dinar bills are in circulation.
As for coins, there are 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 fils.
Did you know?
- Shopping in Bahrain is a habit that families and friends do almost every day. The wealth of the local population has reached such an extreme that consumerism has been boosted to limits unsuspected in other countries.
- The week in Bahrain begins on Sundays, so for its citizens Monday is not as bad a day as it is in almost the rest of the planet.
Why changing currency with us is better than with your bank?
 Global Exchange | Your high-street bank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of curencies available | We have more than 13 currencies. We are specialists. | Only the most common ones. They don't pay much attention to this service and, moreover, they will always try to get you to leave with Dollars. | ||
| Currency availability | Immediate availability at our airport offices on the day of your trip. | The branch requests it from Head Office and it may take quite a long time to have the currency available, or they may not even have it. | ||
| Cost of the transaction | Only the exchange rate, with no commissions, and if you book online we guarantee you the best price. | Your bank's margin plus a commission. | ||
| Fractional currency so you can pay comfortably | Of course, because we think of you and your needs when you set foot in a foreign country. | No. Be prepared to hear refusals and complaints in a foreign language when you present a "large" bill. | ||
| Delivery options | We offer you the possibility of picking up your order at the airport. | You have to go to the bank twice: once to request the currency and once to pick it up, if they can get it for you, so you have to keep track of your money. | ||
| Opening hours | We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. |