BAZ Trading guide
Gold trading sessions in UAE and Saudi time
Short answer. This winter, London opens at 12:00 UAE time (11:00 Saudi), New York at 17:00 UAE (16:00 Saudi), and most US economic data lands at 17:30 UAE (16:30 Saudi). In summer every London and New York time moves one hour earlier. Gold trades almost around the clock from Monday 03:00 UAE to Saturday 02:00 UAE in winter, with a short daily pause around the New York close.
Why the times move
The UAE and Saudi Arabia do not change their clocks, but London and New York do. The UK left summer time on 25 October 2026 and returns on 28 March 2027; the US left on 1 November 2026 and returns on 14 March 2027. Between 14 and 28 March 2027, New York has moved and London has not, so New York events are one hour earlier than in winter while London events are not.
Key times for gold
| Event | Local time | UAE, winter | Saudi, winter | UAE, summer | Saudi, summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly open (most brokers) | Sun 18:00 New York | Mon 03:00 | Mon 02:00 | Mon 02:00 | Mon 01:00 |
| Tokyo open | 09:00 Tokyo | 04:00 | 03:00 | 04:00 | 03:00 |
| London open | 08:00 London | 12:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 |
| LBMA Gold Price, morning auction | 10:30 London | 14:30 | 13:30 | 13:30 | 12:30 |
| US data releases (jobs, inflation) | 08:30 New York | 17:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 15:30 |
| New York morning session begins | 08:00 to 08:30 New York | 17:00 to 17:30 | 16:00 to 16:30 | 16:00 to 16:30 | 15:00 to 15:30 |
| LBMA Gold Price, afternoon auction | 15:00 London | 19:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 17:00 |
| London 4 pm fix (end of the London day) | 16:00 London | 20:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 18:00 |
| US Federal Reserve decisions | 14:00 New York | 23:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 21:00 |
| Daily close and broker pause | 17:00 New York | 02:00 (next day) | 01:00 | 01:00 | 00:00 |
| Weekly close | Fri 17:00 New York | Sat 02:00 | Sat 01:00 | Sat 01:00 | Sat 00:00 |
The daily pause, weekend hours and holiday hours differ by broker; check your broker's symbol specification for XAUUSD.
What this means for a trading day in the Gulf
- The London morning (from 12:00 UAE in winter) and the overlap of London's afternoon with New York's morning (about 17:00 to 20:00 UAE in winter) are usually the busiest hours for gold.
- US data at 17:30 UAE can move gold several dollars within seconds; spreads often widen just before and after the release.
- Saturday and most of Sunday have no gold trading at all. Analysis posted on those days is for the coming week.
- Federal Reserve decisions fall late in the Gulf evening (23:00 UAE in winter).
How BAZ Gold Signals uses these hours
BAZ Gold Signals watches three windows in UAE time: Asia 03:00 to 06:00, London 12:00 to 15:00 and New York 16:00 to 18:00, with Friday off. A signal is posted only when a setup meets the rules, so some windows have none, and no signal can be posted while the gold market is closed. How a BAZ gold signal is built.
About the author
Bil Baz is a Dubai-based gold trader and MQL5 developer and the founder of BAZ Trading, which sells the BAZ Sniper indicator, the BAZ Bridge connector and BAZ Gold Signals.
Risk disclosure. Trading gold on margin carries a high risk of loss. This guide is education, not investment advice. Read the trading risk warning.
Sources
- LBMA: precious metal prices (auction times)
- Daylight-saving dates: UK clocks change on the last Sunday of March and October; US clocks on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November.