The new Kuwaiti Dinar Series is the first redesign in the country since 1994 and combines bold and modern designs with new state-of-the-art security features. The six denominations celebrate different aspects of Kuwait’s history, heritage and economic success, with each note featuring a different theme such as Ruling and the Sea, Democracy and the Desert, and History and Islam. Iconic and culturally-significant buildings are shown on the front while images denoting the country’s attributes and accomplishments are displayed on the back.

A series of new security features have been integrated into the banknotes, including a wide windowed StarBrightTM colour changing security thread, the optically-variable SPARK® OrbitalTM ink and SpectrumTM, a feature generated from a combination of intaglio and offset print to create changing colours or shapes when the note is tilted.

Attention has also been paid to make the new series ‘user-friendly’ for the blind and visually impaired – an increasingly important topic in banknote design – and the new Kuwaiti banknotes feature strongly tactile embossed intaglio engravings, both in the raised denomination numeral on the front and the symbol on either side.

The new banknotes were designed and printed by De La Rue. The award was presented to Tim Jones of De La Rue who collected the award on behalf of the Central Bank of Kuwait.