Dubai’s Gold Trade Tops Dh1 Trillion as Hub Strategy Expands
Dubai’s foreign gold trade climbed about 60 per cent year on year to around Dh1 trillion in 2025, strengthening the emirate’s position in the global bullion market. A government committee has reviewed plans to build on that growth, spanning trade, finance, storage, pricing and retail as well as the infrastructure connecting them.
Key takeaways
- Dubai’s foreign gold trade reached approximately Dh1 trillion in 2025, up 60 per cent year on year.
- About 2,750 tonnes of physical gold were traded in the UAE, placing it second among global physical gold trading hubs, according to figures reviewed by the committee.
- A new committee will turn the proposed Dubai Gold Strategy into initiatives, partnerships and an implementation roadmap.
- Priorities include trade links, financing, secure storage, traceability, price discovery and jewellery retail.
A strategy covering the gold value chain
The proposed strategy is designed to connect more of the gold market’s stages in Dubai, from supply and refining through to trading, storage, financing and retail. The committee reviewed six strategic directions, including plans to deepen trading links between producers, refineries and buyers across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Other proposals focus on gold financing, such as clearing, collateralisation, hedging and institutional trading. The plan also identifies secure storage, better traceability and transparency, and financial tools for price discovery as areas for development. These are proposals under review, rather than evidence that each initiative is already in place.
Implementation moves to a new committee
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the meeting to review Dubai’s economic and financial performance and discuss the gold strategy. The meeting approved a committee chaired by Abdulla bin Damithan to oversee the strategy’s implementation.
Its work will include refining initiatives, coordinating with relevant organisations, assigning roles and partners, and setting timelines and governance arrangements. The approach is intended to translate broad priorities into deliverable projects, with public-private partnerships part of the plan.
Dubai’s existing ecosystem provides a base for that work. The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre’s precious metals, gemstones and diamonds network has more than 1,500 member companies, while the Dubai Gold District, launched in 2026, has more than 1,000 gold and jewellery retailers, according to the government.
What traders should take from the figures
A stronger trading hub can bring together more participants and services, but headline trade volumes alone do not show how prices will move or what opportunities individual traders can access. The government estimates that 13–15 per cent of globally traded gold passes through Dubai annually; that figure describes the emirate’s role in the market, not a forecast of returns.
For traders using MatchTrader in a Classic or Rapid evaluation, the practical takeaway is to treat this as market context, not a trading signal. The stated evaluation limits — 12% maximum loss, 5% daily loss and a 40% best-day rule — remain central to managing risk, regardless of developments in Dubai’s bullion infrastructure.
Wider financial-sector performance
The committee also reviewed financial-sector indicators. Dubai ranked first in FinTech in the Global Financial Centres Index published in September 2026, up from fifth in March, and reported 52 licensed Virtual Asset Service Providers. The government said their trading volumes reached about Dh7.43 trillion over the past 12 months.
The figures point to a broader ambition to strengthen Dubai’s position across finance and trade. For the gold strategy, the next measure to watch is how the new committee converts its proposed priorities into specific initiatives and timelines.