Investing in UAE
Exchange(s), regular trading hours, the securities regulator, and the local gold-buying convention — sourced and dated. No live quotes, no index levels, no recommendations.
Markets
Currency: AED · Region: Gulf / GCC
Dubai Financial Market (DFM)
MIC: XDFM · Currency: AED · Timezone: Asia/Dubai
| Days | Regular hours (local time) |
|---|---|
| Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | 10:00–15:00 |
Source: https://www.dfm.ae/ · checked 2026-09-26. Regular session hours; public holidays not modelled.
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)
MIC: XADS · Currency: AED · Timezone: Asia/Dubai
| Days | Regular hours (local time) |
|---|---|
| Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | 10:00–15:00 |
Source: https://www.adx.ae/ · checked 2026-09-26. Regular session hours; public holidays not modelled.
See live open/closed status for this and other exchanges on Market hours.
Regulator
Capital Market Authority (CMA) of the UAE — replaced the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) effective 1 January 2026 under Federal Decree-Laws No. 32 and 33 of 2025 — https://www.uaecma.gov.ae/en/home
Gold & silver convention
Typical local unit(s): Gram (g). Typical purity: 21K, 22K, 24K / .999+ (fine).
22K and 21K are the most common retail gold jewellery standards sold in UAE gold souks (Dubai/Sharjah), priced per gram, with 24K and 18K also widely available. (Source: Al Romaizan (UAE gold buying guide))
Use the gold and silver reference pages to convert between units and price a given weight/purity — they support every unit and purity listed above.
Good to know
- Since 1 January 2022, DFM and ADX both trade Monday-Friday (10:00am-3:00pm local), having moved off the old Sunday-Thursday week to align with the UAE's shift to a Monday-Friday national working week. (Source: Emirates NBD Securities)
- The UAE's securities regulator was reorganised from the SCA into the Capital Market Authority (CMA) effective 1 January 2026, so older references to 'SCA' now describe the CMA. (Source: Dechert LLP)
fin·calc tools for UAE
Frequently Asked Questions
What stock exchanges does UAE have?
Dubai Financial Market and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
Who regulates investing in UAE?
Capital Market Authority (CMA) of the UAE — replaced the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) effective 1 January 2026 under Federal Decree-Laws No. 32 and 33 of 2025