Trump statements drive surge in UAE retail trading activity
UAE investors are placing larger leveraged bets on gold, oil, and US technology stocks as political and geopolitical news drives rapid market reactions.
Political statements from President Donald Trump are triggering near-immediate trading among retail investors in the United Arab Emirates, Fortune reported.
Tarik Chebib, Middle East CEO of trading platform Capital.com, said Trump’s announcements generate more activity than Federal Reserve decisions or key US economic data. Dubai-based Century Financial reported a similar response.
The Dubai Financial Market’s trading value rose 40% year over year to $32.5 billion in the first half of 2026, while Abu Dhabi’s exchange recorded $46.6 billion. The Middle East accounted for 57.2% of Capital.com’s global client trading volume in the second quarter.
Gold accounted for 49.9% of the platform’s Middle East volume, followed by the US Tech 100 at 23.5% and WTI crude at 7.3%. Executives said clients are using more leverage and reacting to conflict, White House announcements, and shifts in technology stocks.