How today's gold rate in Dubai is calculated
Gold is priced worldwide in US dollars per troy ounce. Because the UAE dirham has been fixed at 3.6725 to the dollar since 1997, the Dubai gold rate is simply that ounce price divided by 31.1035 grams and multiplied by the peg. A 24-karat gram is 99.9% pure, so it is worth almost exactly that figure; 22K is 91.6% gold, 21K is 87.5% and 18K is 75%, and each karat's rate is the pure price multiplied by its purity.
The board above does that arithmetic for you from the live spot price. In the shops, the number on the wall comes from the Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group, which publishes a retail rate during the day based on the same spot price. The two rarely differ by more than a dirham or two per gram, and the difference comes from the timing of the update rather than any local premium. Whether you are in Deira, Abu Dhabi or Fujairah, the same daily rate applies, which is why one page is enough for the whole country.
Two points of detail matter if you compare our figure with a shop receipt. First, retailers quote the metal rate, then add making charges for the labour and 5% VAT on the invoice. Second, the rate you receive when selling is a little below the buying rate, because the shop keeps a small spread. The gold calculator helps you turn the gram rate into a budget for 5 g, 10 g, a tola or a kilo in seconds.
Gold price per gram today by karat: 24K, 22K, 21K and 18K
Most shoppers in the UAE only need one line of the board. Indian and Pakistani buyers usually look at 22K, the standard for bridal sets and bangles; Emirati, Egyptian, Levantine and North African families tend to buy 21K, which is slightly harder and shows a warmer, deeper yellow. 18K dominates diamond-set and designer pieces, and 24K is what you buy in bars and coins when the goal is to hold value rather than wear it.
Each karat page carries its own live price in AED and USD, with 10-gram, tola, ounce and kilo conversions, and explains who buys that purity and why. If you are not sure which purity a piece is, the stamp inside a ring or on the clasp of a chain tells you: 999 for 24K, 916 for 22K, 875 for 21K and 750 for 18K. Our guide to gold karats goes through what those numbers mean for colour, durability and resale.
The 10-gram figure is the one to remember when you walk into a shop: UAE jewellers often quote bangles and chains in multiples of 10 g, and a quick mental check against today's 10 g rate tells you how much of the price is metal and how much is labour.
Why the gold rate in the UAE changes during the day
The international price never sleeps. It trades in Asia from early morning Dubai time, in London through the afternoon and in New York until late evening, and the Dubai rate follows it. The biggest moves usually arrive with US economic data at 16:30 Dubai time, with Federal Reserve decisions, and with sudden geopolitical news. When the dollar weakens, gold tends to rise in dollar terms, and because the dirham is pegged, the AED price rises with it.
Local demand does not move the gram rate, but it does move what you pay. Making charges fall when shops compete during the Dubai Shopping Festival and the summer surprises, and rise in the busy weeks before Diwali, Eid and the winter wedding season. Supply of ready pieces also matters: a popular bangle design can carry a higher labour charge simply because it sells fast.
If you want to follow the market more closely, the live gold chart and the spot price in US dollars show the global picture, while the UAE price history shows how the gram rate has moved over the past months.
What a shop will actually charge on top of today's rate
The rate is only the starting point. Here is what a typical invoice in Dubai contains, in the order you will see it:
| Line | What it is | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Metal value | Weight in grams × today's karat rate | Same in every shop on the same day |
| Making charges | Labour and design, per gram or a percentage | Roughly 5–15% of the metal value for plain pieces; more for intricate or branded work |
| Stones | Diamonds, pearls or coloured stones, priced separately | Depends entirely on the piece |
| VAT | 5% on the whole invoice for jewellery | Refundable to tourists at departure |
Investment bars and coins of 99% purity or more are zero-rated for VAT in the UAE, which is one reason gold bars are popular with residents who want exposure without paying for craftsmanship. Our guide to making charges in Dubai explains how to compare quotes fairly, and the VAT on gold page covers the tourist refund step by step.
Where to buy gold in Dubai and the other emirates
Dubai earned the name City of Gold through the Deira Gold Souk, a covered lane of several hundred small shops where prices are negotiable and the rate board hangs at every doorway. It is reachable by the Green Line metro and sits next to the Gold Souq bus station. Families who prefer air conditioning and parking head to the Gold & Diamond Park on Sheikh Zayed Road or to the big-brand showrooms in Meena Bazaar, Karama and the malls.
The other emirates have their own gold rows: the Sharjah Central Souk and the Rolla area, the lively Ajman gold souk, Madinat Zayed in Abu Dhabi, and smaller clusters in Al Ain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. All of them use the same daily rate; what differs is choice, labour charges and how much room there is to negotiate. The gold shop near me page lists the main areas by emirate, and the jewellers guide compares the large chains.
Is gold cheaper in Dubai than at home?
For most visitors the answer is yes, but not because the metal is cheaper. Gold costs the same per ounce everywhere; what differs is what governments and middlemen add. The UAE charges no import duty on gold, VAT is 5% and refundable to tourists, and hundreds of shops compete within walking distance of each other. India, by contrast, applies customs duty and GST on top of a higher local making culture, and Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka add their own duties and currency effects.
That is why so many expats time their purchases to a trip home. Before you do, read is gold cheaper in Dubai for a worked comparison, check the Dubai gold rate in Indian rupees or in Pakistani, Nepali and Sri Lankan rupees, and make sure you understand the customs limits for carrying gold to India. A good deal in the souk can turn expensive at the airport if the paperwork is wrong.
Selling gold in the UAE at today's rate
Selling is where the rate on this page becomes most useful. A buyer in Deira or Karama will weigh your piece, test the purity, and offer the day's selling rate for that karat minus a margin; the making charges you paid originally are not recovered. Knowing today's 22K or 21K gram price before you walk in is the single best protection against a low offer. Carry the original invoice if you have it, because hallmarked pieces with paperwork fetch closer to the board rate.
Our guide to selling gold in Dubai explains how buyers test purity, what a fair deduction looks like and where to get a second quote. If you would rather borrow against your jewellery than sell it, several UAE lenders offer a gold loan that uses the same daily rate to set your credit limit.
Using this page every day
Bookmark it, or add it to your phone's home screen: the board updates on its own, the chart grows a little every evening, and the Arabic version is one tap away for family members who prefer it. Nothing here is advice to buy or sell; gold can fall as well as rise, and the right time to buy jewellery is usually when you need it, not when the chart looks tempting. For investment decisions the investing section compares bars, coins, online trading accounts and ETFs available to UAE residents, and the price analysis explains what tends to move the market.
Frequently asked questions
What is the gold rate in Dubai today per gram?
The live board at the top of this page shows today's rate per gram for 24K, 22K, 21K and 18K in both dirhams and dollars, converted from the international spot price. Switch the unit buttons to see the price per 10 grams, per tola or per ounce. Shops add making charges and 5% VAT on top of the gram rate.
Is the gold rate the same in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah?
Yes. The daily retail rate is published for the whole country and every jeweller in the seven emirates works from it. What varies between cities and shops is the making charge, the range of designs and how willing the shop is to negotiate, not the price of the metal itself.
Why is 22K gold cheaper than 24K?
Because it contains less gold. 22K jewellery is 91.6% gold and 8.4% alloy metals that make it hard enough to wear, so its rate is 91.6% of the 24K rate. 21K is 87.5% and 18K is 75%. The alloy also changes the colour slightly, which is why 21K looks a deeper yellow than 22K.
How often does the price on this page update?
The board checks the live spot price when the page opens and again every couple of minutes while it stays open. The international market trades around the clock from Monday morning in Asia to Friday evening in New York; over the weekend the last Friday price is shown until trading resumes.
Do I pay VAT on gold in Dubai?
Jewellery carries 5% VAT on the full invoice, which tourists can reclaim at the airport through the Planet tax-refund counters. Investment gold of 99% purity or more, such as bars and most bullion coins, is zero-rated, so residents buying for savings pay no VAT on the metal.
What is a tola and why do shops mention it?
A tola is a traditional South Asian unit equal to 11.6638 grams. Many customers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh think in tolas, and Dubai shops often quote bars and heavy chains in that unit. The board above converts the live price to tolas so you can compare without doing the maths.