500 Riyals QAT Banknote (1973 Issue) 1973

500 Riyals Qatari Riyal (Issued 1973)

The 500 Riyals banknote issued by the Qatar Monetary Agency in 1973 was withdrawn from circulation following the broader reform of Qatar’s monetary system as the country consolidated its financial institutions and modernised its currency framework in the years after independence. This high-denomination note represented the upper tier of Qatar’s early post-independence currency series and was replaced as the Qatar Central Bank assumed responsibility for the nation’s monetary affairs. The transition away from Qatar Monetary Agency notes marked the close of a formative chapter in Qatari financial history, rendering this 500 Riyals note no longer valid for use in everyday transactions.

On the front, the note is oriented with Arabic script reading from right to left, with the issuing authority’s name in Arabic — مؤسسة قطر النقدية (Qatar Monetary Agency) — appearing prominently across the upper portion of the note. The denomination خمسمائة ريال (Five Hundred Riyals) is inscribed in bold, flowing Arabic calligraphy in the centre of the note, accompanied by a secondary line of smaller Arabic text, likely comprising a declaration or official inscription. To the upper left, the numeral 500 appears in a stylised cartouche rendered in deep blue-purple tones, while the serial number ١/٣٣٤٩٤٦ appears in Arabic-Indic numerals and is repeated again in the lower right area of the note in Western numerals. A circular emblem on the right side of the note displays the Qatar coat of arms — featuring a dhow and palm tree within a circular device — set within an elaborate guilloché rosette of teal and green interlocking petal-like forms. The background of the front face is filled with intricate geometric and floral guilloché patterns in soft teal, green, and pale lavender, with scrolling arabesque motifs framing the corners and borders. A signature line in Arabic script appears below the main denomination text, attributed to the Minister of Finance, rendered in a fine cursive hand. The overall colour palette of the front is dominated by shades of blue, teal, and purple, with delicate multicoloured underprint providing depth and security to the paper.

The reverse of the note is printed primarily in teal and green tones and carries the full English-language title “THE QATAR MONETARY AGENCY” in bold serif capitals across the upper portion, flanked on both sides by the numeral “500”. Below this heading, the denomination “FIVE HUNDRED RIYALS” is printed in capital letters along the lower edge. The central vignette on the reverse is a detailed architectural engraving depicting a mosque with a prominent minaret rising above a low, domed structure — identifiable as a traditional Qatari mosque of the early 1970s period — set against a finely cross-hatched background that gives the building a strong three-dimensional quality. To the right of the architectural vignette, the remainder of the reverse is occupied by elaborate guilloché and arabesque decorative panels in teal, incorporating interlocking foliage, scrollwork, and geometric petal forms that echo the design language of the front face. The corners of the reverse each display the numeral “500” within decorative frames. The paper itself shows a light, cream-coloured ground with visible security fibres embedded throughout, and the overall print quality demonstrates the fine intaglio engraving typical of internationally produced banknotes of this era.

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to exchange old coins and banknotes — a 500 Riyals Qatar Monetary Agency banknote from Qatar is accepted with other old or withdrawn Qatari Riyals banknotes and converted into cash in one go.

• Indicate the quantity of 500 Riyals Qatari Riyal banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com buys and exchanges foreign currency of every kind, so your Qatari Riyals banknotes — withdrawn or current — can be sold for cash together with the rest of your leftover coins and notes.