As Dubai's skyline lights up for 2026 celebrations, there's a new trend in town: gifting digital gold! 🎉💰 Fresh off the hype of soaring gold prices, people are swapping tech-savvy presents instead of traditional bling.
Leading the charge is O Gold, the UAE's first app for buying and holding fractional gold. They've just rolled out a gift feature, so users can now send tiny gold shares straight from their phones. 📱✨ "With prices climbing, it makes sense for more people to hold a bit of gold," says Aly Abdo, COO of O Gold. In under a year, the app has attracted 800,000 users – about 8% of the UAE population!
Next up: direct gold payments are coming soon, letting users pay with their gold balance. It's a smart move to boost liquidity and help hedge against inflation and currency swings.
But it's not just online platforms feeling the heat. Offline retailers in Dubai are tweaking their playbook to keep shoppers happy:
- Lightweight bling: Stores like Al Haseena Jewellery are reducing the gram weight of pieces to hit more wallet-friendly price points. 💎
- Flexible installments: Extended payment plans are easing the pressure on buyers juggling budgets. 💸
These strategies are working: despite trading less gold by weight, weekly revenues are matching last year's levels.
Why the rush? Gold prices jumped over 70% in 2025, from 318 AED per gram on Jan 1 to 540 AED by year-end. That's a serious spike – and a reminder that gold remains a go-to safe haven in volatile times.
For young investors across South and Southeast Asia, Dubai's goldbuzz shows how fintech and traditional markets are joining forces. Whether you're eyeing fractional gold apps or scouting for lightweight jewelry deals, now's the time to diversify your portfolio – and maybe up your gift game too! 🌏💡
Reference(s):
Surging gold price promotes more buyers entering the market in UAE
cgtn.com
