When preparing invoices, receipts, or documents in Arabic, monetary amounts are often shown with Eastern Arabic-Indic digits and the Arabic currency name. This tool converts a Western-digit amount into that form with correct grouping and per-currency precision.
Western numerals versus Eastern Arabic-Indic numerals
The digits most of the world now calls “Arabic numerals” (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9) are actually the European adaptations of Indian numerals. The glyphs used throughout much of the Arabic-speaking world today are Eastern Arabic-Indic:
| Western | Eastern Arabic-Indic |
|---|---|
| 0 | ٠ |
| 1 | ١ |
| 2 | ٢ |
| 3 | ٣ |
| 4 | ٤ |
| 5 | ٥ |
| 6 | ٦ |
| 7 | ٧ |
| 8 | ٨ |
| 9 | ٩ |
These are distinct Unicode code points (U+0660 through U+0669, in the Arabic block) and are the numerals that appear in standard Arabic typography for banknotes, official documents, newspapers, and accounting across much of the Middle East and North Africa.
How it works
The amount is first rounded to the currency’s number of minor-unit decimals (two
for most currencies, three for Gulf dinars). The integer part is grouped into
thousands, then every digit is mapped to its Eastern Arabic-Indic glyph. The
Arabic thousands mark ٬ (U+066C) separates groups and the Arabic decimal mark
٫ (U+066B) separates the fractional part. Finally the Arabic currency name
(for example ريال سعودي or دينار كويتي) is appended.
Currency-specific precision
Most currencies use two decimal places (representing cents, halalas, or equivalent minor units). Gulf dinars are an important exception:
| Currency | Decimal places | Minor unit |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Riyal (SAR) | 2 | Halala (1/100) |
| UAE Dirham (AED) | 2 | Fils (1/100) |
| Egyptian Pound (EGP) | 2 | Piastre (1/100) |
| Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) | 3 | Fils (1/1000) |
| Bahraini Dinar (BHD) | 3 | Fils (1/1000) |
| Omani Rial (OMR) | 3 | Baisa (1/1000) |
The Kuwaiti, Bahraini, and Omani currencies are among the highest-valued in the world in part because they do not inflate to avoid fractional digits — one Kuwaiti dinar is divided into 1,000 fils.
Worked example
Entering 12345.5 as Saudi Riyal:
- Round to 2 decimals:
12345.50 - Group thousands:
12,345.50 - Map to Eastern numerals with Arabic separators:
١٢٬٣٤٥٫٥٠ - Append currency name:
١٢٬٣٤٥٫٥٠ ريال سعودي
Choosing Kuwaiti Dinar instead with the same input shows three decimal places:
١٢٬٣٤٥٫٥٠٠ دينار كويتي.
The tool formats digits only; to spell the amount out in words for a cheque, use the dedicated Arabic currency-in-words tool. All formatting happens in your browser, so figures stay private.