Is gold cheaper in Dubai?

The gold itself costs about the same worldwide because the Dubai rate follows the international price. Savings, where they exist, come from competitive making charges, a 5% VAT rate that tourists can largely reclaim, and the amount of choice. Compare against prices and import rules in your home country before assuming a saving.

Can I negotiate the price of gold in Dubai?

You can negotiate the making charge but not the gold rate, which is set daily for each karat. Ask for the making charge separately and compare it across several shops.

Can tourists get VAT back on gold jewellery?

Yes, if you are 18 or over, not a UAE resident, entered on a tourist visa and buy from a retailer in the Tax Refund for Tourists Scheme. The minimum is AED 250 per invoice, you must validate within 90 days at the airport or border, and the FTA deducts 13% of the VAT plus AED 3.60 per transaction.

How much gold can I take out of Dubai?

There is no fixed personal limit, but gold, jewellery, precious stones and cash worth AED 60,000 or more must be declared to UAE customs when leaving or entering. Your home country's duty-free allowance and gold rules then apply on arrival.

What do the numbers stamped on gold mean?

They show fineness in parts per thousand: 999 is 24k, 916 is 22k, 875 is 21k and 750 is 18k. Check the stamp matches the karat on your invoice.

Buying Gold in Dubai

Buying Gold in Dubai: Prices, Purity and Tax Refunds

How a Dubai gold price is built, what the stamps mean, how to reclaim VAT as a tourist and what to declare at customs, before you hand over any money.

VAT5% on jewellery

Refund minimumAED 250 per invoice

DeclareAED 60,000+ in value

Price basisDaily rate per gram

How pricing works Ask about buying gold

Short answer

What you actually pay for gold in Dubai

A piece of gold jewellery in Dubai is priced as: weight in grams multiplied by the day's rate for its karat, plus a making charge, plus 5% VAT. The gold rate is set daily and is not negotiable. The making charge is where shops differ and where you can bargain. Tourists can reclaim most of the VAT when leaving the UAE, and anyone carrying gold, jewellery or cash worth AED 60,000 or more must declare it to UAE customs.

Gold rate

Set daily per gram

Published by the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group and updated through the day as the world price moves

Making charge

Negotiable

Quoted per gram or per piece; varies by design and shop

VAT

Charged on the gold value and the making charge together

Tourist refund

Most of the VAT back

Minimum AED 250 per invoice, validate within 90 days

Purity

18k to 24k

Check the fineness stamp: 750, 875, 916 or 999

UAE customs

Declare AED 60,000+

Cash, gold, jewellery and precious stones, arriving or leaving

Pricing

How Dubai gold prices are calculated

Every retailer works from the same daily rate per gram for 24k, 22k, 21k and 18k gold. The Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group publishes it and shops display it on screens or boards. Because it follows the international gold price, it can move several times in a day. Check it on your phone before you walk in, so you can test the numbers a salesperson quotes.

On top of the metal sits the making charge, the labour and design cost. Plain chains and simple bangles carry low making charges; intricate, handmade or branded pieces carry much higher ones. This is the part to negotiate, and it is why two bracelets of the same weight can be priced very differently.

Finally, 5% VAT is added to the combined total. Investment-grade bars and coins (99% purity or higher) are treated differently for VAT, so ask the shop how a bar is taxed before comparing it with jewellery.

Gold jewellery on display in a Dubai shop window

Worked example

Checking a quote, step by step

Use this sequence at the counter. Swap in the day's actual rate and the shop's stated making charge; the figures change daily, so none are given here as fact.

Step	What to ask or check	Why it matters
1. Weight	Ask for the weight in grams on the scale	Everything else is multiplied by this number
2. Karat	Confirm the stamp (e.g. 916 for 22k)	Tells you which daily rate applies
3. Gold value	Weight x today's rate for that karat	Should match the board; this part is fixed
4. Making charge	Ask for it separately, per gram or per piece	The only part you can negotiate
5. Stones	Ask whether stone weight is deducted	You should not pay the gold rate on gemstones
6. VAT	5% on gold value plus making charge	Shown on the tax invoice; refundable for eligible tourists
7. Invoice	Itemised: weight, karat, making charge, VAT	Needed for the VAT refund and for customs at home

Purity

Karats, fineness stamps and what to check

24k (999)

Pure gold. Soft and easily scratched, so mostly sold as bars, coins and simple pieces. The highest rate per gram.

22k (916)

91.6% gold. The standard for traditional South Asian and Arabic jewellery and widely stocked in Dubai.

21k (875)

87.5% gold. Popular with Gulf buyers for bangles and heavier traditional designs.

18k (750)

75% gold. Harder wearing, the usual choice for diamond-set rings and everyday pieces, and the cheapest rate per gram.

Diamonds and gemstones

For any significant stone, ask for an independent grading report (for example GIA or IGI) and check the report number against the grading lab's online database before paying.

If a stamp is missing

Do not buy a piece that has no karat stamp or that the shop will not describe in writing on the invoice. A clear stamp plus an itemised invoice is your protection if something is wrong later.

Tax

VAT refund for tourists on gold jewellery

The UAE's Tax Refund for Tourists Scheme is run by Planet for the Federal Tax Authority. These are the rules published by the FTA as of September 2026; check tax.gov.ae before travelling.

Who qualifies

Visitors aged 18 or over who are not UAE residents and entered on a tourist visa. You need your original passport (or GCC national ID for GCC nationals) at the shop and at validation.

At the shop

Buy from a retailer taking part in the scheme, spend at least AED 250 (including VAT) on the invoice, and ask for a tax-free transaction linked to your passport.

Validation

Validate within 90 days of the invoice date, at a Planet kiosk or desk at the airport, land border or port, and leave the UAE within 6 hours of validating. Keep the goods with you, as they may be inspected.

How much comes back

The FTA deducts 13% of the VAT refund plus AED 3.60 per tax-free transaction. Cash refunds are capped at AED 35,000; card refunds have no cap.

Customs

Customs rules leaving the UAE and arriving home

1
Leaving the UAE: declare AED 60,000 or more. Travellers entering or leaving the UAE must declare cash, gold, jewellery and precious stones worth AED 60,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies). This is done through the UAE customs declaration service (Afseh) before travel. Declaring is not a tax; failing to declare can lead to penalties.
2
Arriving home: your own country's rules apply. Most countries have a duty-free allowance for goods bought abroad, and some have separate limits or duties specifically for gold. Check your home customs authority's current allowance before buying a large piece.
3
Carry the itemised invoice in your hand luggage. Home customs officers usually value gold from the invoice. One showing weight, karat, making charge and VAT is far easier to deal with than a card receipt.
4
Wearing it does not exempt it. Jewellery bought on this trip normally counts as imported goods even if you wear it through the airport.

Negotiating

How to get a fair price

1
Compare making charges, not totals. Ask three or four shops for the making charge on a similar piece. Totals hide the difference; the making charge shows it.
2
Negotiate harder on heavier or multiple pieces. Shops have more room on the making charge when the gold weight is high or you buy several items.
3
Ask about card fees before you agree. Some shops add a charge for card payments or offer a better price for cash. Confirm the final figure for your payment method, and remember the AED 60,000 declaration applies to cash you carry too.
4
Watch the rate move. The daily rate is updated as the world price changes. If you are deciding between shops over several hours, re-check it rather than relying on a quote from the morning.
5
Custom pieces: get the terms in writing. Many shops make pieces to order. Agree the karat, estimated weight, making charge and collection date on paper, and pay a deposit only against a receipt.

Where to buy

Gold Souk or mall: where buying gold in Dubai makes sense

The daily rate is the same everywhere, so the real differences are making charges, choice and ease of negotiation. The Deira Gold Souk has the greatest concentration of shops and the most room to compare; for opening hours, the metro route and what to see there, read our Gold Souk visitor guide. Mall jewellers and big chains offer fixed-feeling prices, easier returns policies and air-conditioned browsing.

Spending a day in the old town anyway? Our Deira vs Bur Dubai comparison helps you choose a base, the Old Dubai area guide covers the wider heritage district, and the Spice Souk is a short walk away. Indian passport holders may also find our shopping guide for Indian visitors useful.

FAQ

Buying gold in Dubai: common questions

Is gold cheaper in Dubai?

The gold itself costs about the same worldwide because the Dubai rate follows the international price. Savings, where they exist, come from competitive making charges, a 5% VAT rate that tourists can largely reclaim, and the amount of choice. Compare against prices and import rules in your home country before assuming a saving.
Can I negotiate the price of gold in Dubai?

You can negotiate the making charge but not the gold rate, which is set daily for each karat. Ask for the making charge separately and compare it across several shops.
Can tourists get VAT back on gold jewellery?

Yes, if you are 18 or over, not a UAE resident, entered on a tourist visa and buy from a retailer in the Tax Refund for Tourists Scheme. The minimum is AED 250 per invoice, you must validate within 90 days at the airport or border, and the FTA deducts 13% of the VAT plus AED 3.60 per transaction.
How much gold can I take out of Dubai?

There is no fixed personal limit, but gold, jewellery, precious stones and cash worth AED 60,000 or more must be declared to UAE customs when leaving or entering. Your home country's duty-free allowance and gold rules then apply on arrival.
What do the numbers stamped on gold mean?

They show fineness in parts per thousand: 999 is 24k, 916 is 22k, 875 is 21k and 750 is 18k. Check the stamp matches the karat on your invoice.

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