The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has established itself as a dominant force in global retail trading, with volumes reaching $468.9 billion in 2024, according to new data released by trading platform Capital.com.

UAE Emerges as Trading Powerhouse with $469 Billion Volume in 2024

The UAE led global markets with 19.5 million trades - double the activity of second-place Germany - while maintaining an impressive 62.53% positive return rate across trades.

UAE traders demonstrated versatility, actively participating in 23 different instruments, ranging from cryptocurrency markets with Dogecoin to traditional commodities like US crude oil and gold.

“Our latest data shows the remarkable achievements of UAE traders, who are not only diversifying their strategies across a wide range of instruments but also delivering healthy returns from their trades,” Tarik Chebib, the CEO of Capital.com MENA, said.

“With an impressive trading volume of $468.9 billion and a growing focus on cross-asset opportunities, UAE traders have firmly established themselves as big hitters in the global trading landscape.”

A separate report prepared by Investment Trends showed that the number of FX/CFD traders in the Middle East continues to grow, while in other regions of the world, the trend is less dynamic. In 2023, it reached a record high of around 50,000. One of the most striking findings of the report is the exceptionally strong influence of word-of-mouth recommendations in driving client registrations in the local market.

Germany Takes 2^nd Place

Germany emerged as another significant player, boasting the largest trading community globally. German traders distinguished themselves through disciplined risk management, with 29.64% of trades implementing stop-loss orders - the highest rate worldwide.

The country's traders showed particular enthusiasm for equities, dedicating 15.68% of their trades to this asset class, while focusing on instruments such as Germany 40, XRP, and GameStop.

“German traders’ disciplined approach to risk management serves as a benchmark for the global trading community. With 29.64% of trades employing stop-loss orders – the highest worldwide - Germany’s trader community clearly led the way in risk management,” added Chebib.

This comes, as the country’s ruling coalition intends to eliminate the regulation that limited traders' ability to offset losses against profits beyond a specified threshold while trading CFDs.

Switzerland also posted higher results in profitability, accumulating $366.5 million in realized profits, substantially outperforming the UAE's $90.7 million. Swiss traders averaged $292.72 per winning trade throughout 2024 and led in cryptocurrency engagement, with 16.24% of trades focused on digital assets.

Regional Specializations Emerge

The data revealed distinct regional preferences, with Qatar showing strong commodity focus, accounting for 62.31% of trades in this asset class. Meanwhile, Australia demonstrated particular strength in forex trading, with 20.58% of trades in currency pairs - more than double the UK's share - and particular dominance in AUD/JPY and AUD/USD trading pairs.

European traders displayed strong national loyalties in their trading preferences. British traders gravitated toward BAE Systems, while Irish traders showed strong support for Ryanair. The Dutch market saw significant activity in PostNL, and French traders favored Air Liquide, demonstrating how local market knowledge influenced trading decisions.

In the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia's trading patterns reflected the nation's broader economic goals, with a notable focus on electric vehicle manufacturers like Lucid Group.

Looking Ahead

Capital.com’s market analyst Daniela Hathorn suggests that 2025 could bring new challenges, particularly regarding potential tariff implementations and their impact on corporate margins and equity valuations. These factors, combined with expected tax cuts, may increase inflationary pressures and potentially limit the Federal Reserve's ability to cut rates.

The outlook for commodities remains dynamic, with oil prices expected to maintain volatility as markets balance Chinese demand recovery against increased OPEC+ production. Geopolitical tensions could trigger price spikes, while gold may benefit from lower rates, weaker growth, and ongoing geopolitical risks, although strong U.S. economic performance could moderate gains.

The data analyzed covered trading activity from over 600,000 global traders on the Capital.com platform throughout 2024.