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.
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“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 2nd 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.
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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.
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 2nd 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.
This post is originally published on FINANCEMAGNATES.