Spot gold contract specifications by broker
The table is ranked by Gold Fit, which blends our captured gold columns (70 points) with the broker’s Overall CFB Score from its review (30 points). That way a broker strong on both gold and its overall service ranks above one that only shines here. Two brokers have no published CFB Score, so no Gold Fit is calculated and they sit at the bottom with every figure we did capture. That is fair: you still see their data, but the ranking does not pretend to compare them on an incomplete picture. The weighting is spelled out on our methodology page.
| # | Broker | Gold Fit | Overall | Contract (Contract size) | Spread, as published (Spread as published) | Swap-free gold | Visit broker | More details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #1 Highest Gold Fit Equiti | 97 | 89 | 100 troy ozexplicit | 0.28 (typical, unit not stated) | Yes, USD 60/lot/day after grace, exempt under USD 25k balance | Visit Equiti | |
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| 2 |  CFI | 94 | 80 | 100 ounces | Target 12 (Zero Commission) or 6 (Dynamic Trader), unit not stated | Yes, opt-in, weekly review, max 2-day hold | Visit CFI | |
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| 3 |  XTB | 94 | 79 | 100 (nominal value multiplier) | 0.25 (standard), 0.35 (swap-free), unit not stated | Yes, 30-day grace then swaps, wider spread | Visit XTB | |
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| 4 |  eToro | 80 | 59 | 100 units (not troy oz) | 0.01% per trade (lowest scenario) | Yes, USD 20/100-unit lot/day after 7 days, adjustment not waived | Visit eToro | |
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| 5 |  AvaTrade | 78 | 67 | Not published (unit Troy Oz) | USD 0.37 per troy oz (live, changes) | Yes, 5-day cap, no fee published | Visit AvaTrade | |
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| 6 |  IG | 78 | 85 | 100 troy oz | 0.3 pointsminimum | Not published | Visit IG | |
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| 7 |  ADSS | 61 | 58 | 100 troy oz (Value of 1 CFD) | Variable (floor 13 cents) | Not published | Visit ADSS | |
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| 8 |  Amana | 42 | 54 | 100 oz | Not published | Not published | Visit Amana | |
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| 9 |  Century Financial | 25 | 64 | Not published | Not published | Not published; no Sharia-compliance claim | Visit Century Financial | |
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The table makes plain what the broker’s own pages show. Six brokers publish a spread figure, but the six are not the same measurement. Equiti prints 0.28 under the word “typical” and no unit. IG states 0.3 points as a minimum. XTB splits its spread into a standard 0.25 and a swap-free 0.35, both without a unit. AvaTrade serves a live USD 0.37 per troy ounce that had already changed on another regional site the same morning. eToro quotes a percentage of trade value, 0.01 per cent. CFI’s target spreads of 12 and 6 come with no unit. ADSS says “Variable” and publishes a floor, not a spread. Century Financial and Amana publish nothing. Anyone presenting these as a league table is comparing figures that are not the same kind of measurement.
Contract size is 100 troy ounces at seven of the nine brokers. Equiti is the only one that calls it “Contract size (1 lot)” in troy ounces explicitly, which is the clearest disclosure. Century Financial quotes gold in “units” and never states ounces per unit. AvaTrade names the unit but not the ounces per lot. Both are opaque. A trader who wants to know what they are buying gets a clear answer from seven brokers and a question mark from two.
This page gives you contract specifications, not live prices. There is no price widget here. For a live XAU/USD quote, use your broker’s own platform or the exchange. I keep it that way to avoid stale prices.
ADSS markets information sheet, Gold Spot XAUUSD row, showing 100 troy ounces as the value of 1 CFD and a daily funding charge at the relevant XAUUSD swap rate, captured 18 August 2026.
Risk warning: CFDs are leveraged products. Leverage works against you as well as for you, and you may lose some or all of your deposit. Read the broker's own client agreement and check its licence on the CMA (formerly SCA), DFSA or FSRA public register before opening an account.
1. Equiti: XAUUSD at 100 troy oz, spread published
Gold trading at Equiti features a typical spread of 0.28 on XAUUSD, a contract size of 100 troy oz, and a minimum trade of 0.01 lots. It offers swap-free gold at USD 60 per lot per day after a grace period, with an exemption for balances under USD 25,000. Equiti Securities Currencies Brokers LLC is licensed by the CMA (formerly SCA) under reference CP-0000791.
Average spread
0.28 typical on XAUUSD
100 troy oz, 0.01 lot minimum
Trading platforms
MT4, MT5, own platform
Minimum deposit
USD 0 (Classic)
USD 3,000 (Premier)
Regulation
CMA (formerly SCA)
CP-0000791
Pros & Cons
- AED is accepted for account denomination, deposits and local bank transfers with no fees.
- The CMA licence permits the broker to deal as principal, providing direct counterparty execution.
- A Micro account carries a minimum deposit of USD 0 and offers MT5 and WebTrader access.
- The CMA retail maximum for major forex pairs is 500:1, and the broker's published maximum matches that figure.
- Four versions of the swap-free terms are publicly accessible, creating uncertainty about the applicable equity or balance trigger.
- Classic and Standard accounts do not publish a typical or advertised EUR/USD spread.
Broker's Detail
Equiti trades in the UAE through Equiti Securities Currencies Brokers LLC on CMA (formerly SCA) reference CP-0000791, also published as SCA-era 20200000026 (Cat 1); 20200000352 (Cat 5): a dealing permission, so the UAE-licensed entity can be your counterparty, with client assets endorsed.
Licence covers: Category 1, Trading broker of OTC derivatives and currencies (spot market)
2. CFI: Swap-free gold on an opt-in basis
CFI's gold offering includes target spreads of 12 on Zero Commission and 6 on Dynamic Trader, with a contract size of 100 ounces. It offers swap-free gold on an opt-in basis, subject to a weekly review and a maximum two-day hold, which I think is a fair trade-off. CFI FINANCIAL MARKETS L.L.C is licensed by the CMA (formerly SCA) under reference CP-0000894.
Average spread
Target 12 (Zero Commission)
6 (Dynamic Trader), unit not stated
Trading platforms
MT5, TradingView, own platform
Minimum deposit
No minimum stated
Regulation
CMA (formerly SCA)
CP-0000894
Why higher here? CFI's target spreads as low as 6 and its swap-free gold option push it to second on this page, above its seventh overall. See the ranking method ↓
Pros & Cons
- CFI FINANCIAL MARKETS L.L.C holds CMA Category 1 licence 20200000154.
- The CMA public register lists all four permitted activities as Active.
- CFI classifies everyone who opens an account under its UAE entity as a retail client, which carries the retail protections of the SCA rulebook.
- CFI publishes two different EUR/USD spread figures for the same Zero Commission account on different pages.
- The Dynamic Trader account page states a low volume based commission but gives no commission number, and the same page contains a contradictory no additional commissions footnote.
- CFI does not publish a typical or average spread figure for either account.
Broker's Detail
CFI trades in the UAE through CFI FINANCIAL MARKETS L.L.C on CMA (formerly SCA) reference CP-0000894, also published as SCA-era 20200000154: a dealing permission, so the UAE-licensed entity can be your counterparty, with client assets endorsed.
Licence covers: Financial Consultations; Portfolios management; Trading broker in the international markets; Trading broker of OTC derivatives and currencies in the spot market
3. XTB: Gold from 0.003 lots on xStation
XTB's standard gold spread is 0.25, and its swap-free spread is 0.35, with a contract size multiplier of 100. You can trade as little as 0.003 lots on xStation or 0.01 on MT4. Swap-free gold is available with a 30-day grace period before swaps apply. XTB MENA Limited is licensed by the DFSA (DIFC) under reference F006316.
Average spread
0.25 standard, 0.35 swap-free
unit not stated
Trading platforms
MT4, own platform
Minimum deposit
USD 0
Regulation
DFSA (DIFC)
F006316
Why higher here? XTB's standard spread of 0.25 and its 0.003-lot minimum on xStation help it reach third for gold, above its eighth overall. See the ranking method ↓
Pros & Cons
- Zero minimum deposit on the standard account.
- No commission per lot on the standard account.
- Regulated by the DFSA in the DIFC under reference F006316.
- AED is not supported for deposits, withdrawals, or account currency.
- API access is not published.
- Swap-free account does not state Shari'ah certification.
Broker's Detail
XTB trades in the UAE through XTB MENA Limited on DFSA (DIFC) reference F006316: a dealing permission, so the UAE-licensed entity can be your counterparty, with client assets endorsed.
Licence covers: Dealing in Investments as Principal (Debentures, Futures, Options); Arranging Deals in Investments (Debentures, Futures, Options, Shares, Units)
4. eToro: Gold priced as a percentage per trade
eToro's gold spread starts at 0.01% per trade, with a contract size of 100 units. It offers swap-free gold at USD 20 per 100-unit lot per day after seven days, though the spot price adjustment is not waived; I think that makes the total cost less predictable. eToro (ME) Ltd is licensed by the FSRA (ADGM) under reference FSP 220073.
Average spread
0.01 percent per trade
100 units, not troy oz
Trading platforms
eToro platform and app
Minimum deposit
USD 100 first deposit
Regulation
FSRA (ADGM)
FSP 220073
Why higher here? eToro's 0.01% spread and swap-free gold option push it to fourth for gold, well above its 21st overall. See the ranking method ↓
Pros & Cons
- eToro (ME) Ltd holds FSRA (ADGM) register reference FSP 220073 with a dealing tier permission.
- eToro publishes a full Swap-Free administrative fee schedule, the only broker of the nine in the captured set that does so.
- The single offering account has a minimum deposit of USD 100 and charges 0 USD commission per lot per side.
- The exact entity a UAE resident contracts with is still unverified.
- AED is not an account currency and is not accepted as a deposit currency; no UAE local bank detail is stated.
- eToro states it is not licensed to offer Sharia-compliant accounts.
Broker's Detail
eToro trades in the UAE through eToro (ME) Ltd on FSRA (ADGM) reference FSP 220073: a dealing permission, so the UAE-licensed entity can be your counterparty, with no client-asset endorsement.
Licence covers: Dealing in Investments as Principal (Matched); Arranging Deals in Investments; Managing Assets; Arranging Custody in relation to Virtual Assets
5. AvaTrade: A live gold spread per troy oz
AvaTrade publishes a live gold spread of USD 0.37 per troy oz and a minimum trade of 0.01 lots. It offers swap-free gold with a five-day cap, though no fee is published. Ava Trade Middle East Limited is licensed by the FSRA (ADGM) under reference FSP 190018.
Average spread
USD 0.37 per troy oz
live figure, changes
Trading platforms
MT4, MT5, own platform
Minimum deposit
USD 100
Regulation
FSRA (ADGM)
FSP 190018
Why higher here? AvaTrade's published spread of USD 0.37 and its swap-free gold with a five-day cap lift it to fifth for gold, above its 15th overall. See the ranking method ↓
Pros & Cons
- ADGM dealing licence held by Ava Trade Middle East Limited (FSP 190018).
- No commission on the single CFD offering.
- Swap-free account available with a five-day grace period.
- Broker-published leverage for gold, indices, commodities and shares exceeds FSRA retail caps.
- AED acceptance for deposits and withdrawals is not stated.
- Swap-free account terms contain three conflicting statements on charges after five days.
Broker's Detail
AvaTrade trades in the UAE through Ava Trade Middle East Limited on FSRA (ADGM) reference FSP 190018: a dealing permission, so the UAE-licensed entity can be your counterparty, with no client-asset endorsement.
Licence covers: Dealing in Investments as Principal (Matched); Arranging Deals in Investments
Gold trading hours in Gulf Standard Time
Only one of the nine brokers publishes its gold trading hours in UAE local time. Century Financial states them as “Daily Trading hours (UAE time)”. The other eight publish in a foreign clock. ADSS, Equiti, AvaTrade and eToro use GMT. IG uses London time. XTB uses CET/CEST. CFI and Amana do not label the timezone on their hours table at all. A UAE trader reading any of those eight has to work out the offset themselves. For CFI and Amana there is nothing published to convert from, so no conversion is possible. I find that a genuine inconvenience. All brokers should publish local time.
Converted to Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4), the daily break falls in the small hours of the UAE morning, between roughly 01:00 and 02:00, at every broker that publishes one. The length varies sharply. ADSS, CFI, Amana, IG, XTB, AvaTrade and eToro all pause for about an hour. Equiti’s break is six minutes, from 00:59 to 01:05 GST. Century Financial’s break runs from 01:58 to 03:04 UAE time, later than the rest. I find it reassuring: the gold market does not pause during the UAE working day or evening. The break happens while most traders sleep. So it does not affect a trader’s activity unless they trade in the middle of the night.
I want to be transparent about how we converted the hours. The conversions above are arithmetic on the brokers’ own published figures. CFI’s holiday schedule PDF states a GMT+3 server time, and we have applied that to its hours table. Amana’s sibling tables carry a “+3 GMT” heading, but its client agreement separately references GMT+2, so the Amana conversion carries the lowest confidence of the nine. XTB’s UAE gold page displays the unconverted CET figure under a tooltip that reads “Trading hours for this security (in your time zone)”, which is wrong for a reader in the UAE. I would treat that tooltip claim as an error.
Spot gold CFD trading week in Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4): the market opens Monday 02:00, closes Saturday 01:00, and the daily break sits between 01:00 and 02:00 GST at all nine brokers.
How each broker is licensed
The nine brokers hold licences under three distinct UAE regimes. Four are licensed by the federal CMA (formerly SCA): ADSS, CFI, Century Financial and Equiti. Three are licensed by the DFSA (DIFC): Amana, IG and XTB. Two are licensed by the FSRA (ADGM): AvaTrade and eToro. The full legal entity names and register references are listed in the table above. We checked every register on 17 August 2026, and our capture of the gold contract specifications was on 18 August 2026, so the data you see reflects what was published on those dates.
A few details worth noting. CFI, Century Financial and Equiti publish older SCA-era licence numbers on their own sites alongside the CMA register references. eToro’s FSRA status was confirmed directly on the ADGM public register, which records the firm as dealing in investments as principal on a matched principal basis. Amana requires a disambiguation on first mention: this is the DFSA-licensed Dubai broker, not the Amana construction group and not the Labuan-regulated consumer app that shares the brand. I note that Amana’s own app opens new accounts by default with its Labuan entity, not the Dubai one. That distinction matters if you want DFSA coverage.
If you compare the licences of any UAE-licensed forex brokers, the same three-regime structure applies across asset classes. So the licence split you see on this gold page is not unique to gold.
Gold CFDs and DGCX gold futures
DGCX is the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange, a subsidiary of DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), a Dubai government authority. It and its clearing house, the Dubai Commodities Clearing Corporation (DCCC), are regulated by the federal regulator. DGCX’s own documentation still carries the name SCA, because its pages predate the January 2026 rename to CMA. I note that because it can confuse anyone checking the regulator’s current name.
The main DGCX gold futures contract, symbol DG, is a different instrument from the gold CFD. It is sized at 32 troy ounces, approximately one kilogram. The brokers’ gold CFD is 100 troy ounces where the figure is published. DGCX’s contract expires on a bi-monthly cycle with a last trading day two business days before the end of the contract month. Brokers’ gold CFDs do not expire, which is why Equiti types it “Rolling” and eToro calls it “Gold (Non Expiry)”. Both the DGCX DG future and the brokers’ CFDs are cash settled. DGCX also lists a Daily Gold Futures contract (400 troy ounces, physical delivery) and a Spot Gold Shariah Compliant contract (DGSG, 32 troy ounces, physical delivery of 1kg allocated and segregated bars of minimum 0.995 purity). That Shariah-compliant contract is a spot contract, not a future, and is genuinely relevant for a UAE reader seeking physical delivery. If you want actual metal, that DGSG contract is worth a look.
Trading hours differ. DGCX gold trades 07:00 to 23:55 Dubai time and closes overnight. The brokers’ gold CFDs run almost around the clock and break in the small hours. DGCX and its clearing house DCCC both sit under the single federal regulator. The nine CFD brokers, by contrast, are spread across three separate regimes: the federal CMA, the DFSA in the DIFC, and the FSRA in the ADGM. Access differs too. DGCX contracts are traded through DGCX Broker Members who hold a licence from that federal regulator, while the CFD is traded directly with the licensed broker. So the futures market has one supervisor and the CFD market has three. In my view, that fragmentation is something you should be aware of when choosing how to trade gold.
Spot gold CFD versus DGCX gold futures: 100 troy ounces against 32 troy ounces, no expiry against a bi-monthly cycle, both cash settled. The CFD sits under CMA, DFSA or FSRA; the DGCX future sits under the federal regulator.
Gold trading in Dubai and the physical market
Dubai’s physical gold market, including the Gold Souk in Deira, is a separate thing from everything on this page. Buying a bar or coin there gives the buyer metal. A gold CFD gives the trader exposure to the price with no metal involved and no delivery. The two are not the same product, and this page covers only the CFD. If you want to own physical gold, you need a different route entirely.
Spot gold under a swap-free account
Five of the nine brokers offer swap-free treatment on gold: CFI, Equiti, XTB, AvaTrade and eToro. Four publish no swap-free account at all: ADSS, Century Financial, Amana and IG. Not one of the five offers is free of cost or condition. The label “swap-free” can sound like a free pass, but every one of these comes with a catch you need to understand.
Here are the specifics. Equiti charges an administrative fee of USD 60 per lot per day after the grace period, though accounts with a balance at or under USD 25,000 are exempt. eToro applies USD 20 per 100-unit lot per day after seven days and does not waive the daily Spot Price Adjustment. XTB grants a 30-day grace period, after which normal swap points resume, and the swap-free account pays a wider spread throughout. AvaTrade caps swap-free positions at five days, with no fee published after the cap. CFI’s swap-free treatment is opt-in, reviewed weekly, carries a minimum volume requirement and is conditioned on positions not being held open more than two days. If you plan to hold a gold position longer than a few days, these conditions could change your cost calculation significantly.
Century Financial’s Terms of Business state: “The Company does not hold itself out as a Sharia-compliant institution. We have not obtained any fatwa (a formal Sharia scholarly opinion) or Sharia certification.” That is as clear a statement as you will find. ADSS, Amana and IG publish no swap-free or Islamic account for their UAE entities. So if swap-free treatment matters to you, these four are effectively off the table.
If you need to compare the exact swap-free account terms across brokers, the conditions on gold are often more restrictive than the headline policy suggests. I always check the gold-specific fine print before opening an account, so you know what you are signing up for.
Platforms that carry spot gold
The symbol a trader searches for differs by broker. XAUUSD works at CFI, Equiti and Amana. GOLD works at XTB, AvaTrade and eToro. ADSS uses “Gold Spot XAUUSD”. IG uses “Spot Gold” with ticker GOL. Century Financial uses “Gold Cash”. Typing XAUUSD into a platform search will not find the instrument at four of the nine. Platform choice matters too. MetaTrader is not universal. XTB runs its own xStation alongside MT4. IG runs its own platform. eToro’s platform is proprietary. Before opening an account, a trader should check which platform carries the needed symbol. Our trading platforms in the UAE page and brokers supporting MetaTrader 5 page can help narrow the choice. I find the symbol variation a nuisance, but it is what it is.
FAQs
What time does the gold market open and close in UAE time?
Is gold trading available on a swap-free account?
Is a DGCX gold future the same as a gold CFD?
What symbol should I search for on my platform?
Does this page show live gold prices?
Related pages
About the author
Justin Grossbard co-founded CompareForexBrokers in 2014 and serves as Co-Founder and CEO. He has traded forex since 1998. For this site he directs the research and comparison of UAE-licensed brokers. He holds Monash University degrees including a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours and a Master of Marketing. His commentary has appeared in Forbes, Kiplinger, Finance Magnates and Entrepreneur.