DGCX sees strong H1 2025 growth with surge in gold and INR futures trading

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The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) recorded a strong first half of 2025, trading over one million contracts by the end of June. This marked a 30 per cent year-on-year increase in average daily volumes, reflecting rising demand for risk management tools amid global market uncertainty. Leading the growth were gold contracts and the exchange’s INR Quanto futures product.

A key highlight of the period was the performance of DGCX’s Shariah-compliant Gold Spot Contract (DGSG). The value of trades in DGSG jumped from $15.6m in H1 2024 to $46.8m in H1 2025, representing a 199.84 per cent year-on-year increase. Contract volumes also grew by 118 per cent over the same period.

Also driving volumes was the INR Quanto futures contract. This synthetic product allows market participants to hedge their Indian rupee exposure against the US dollar without needing access to Indian domestic markets. The contract continued to gain traction as a regional hedging solution amid persistent foreign exchange volatility.

Commenting on the exchange’s performance, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DGCX, said: “DGCX has seen exceptional momentum in the first half of the year, with nearly $47m traded through our spot gold contract alone – a 200 per cent year-on-year increase – and a 30 per cent rise in daily volumes across the exchange driven by demand for DGSG and INR Quanto futures. This performance not only places DGCX firmly on course to surpass its 2024 results but reinforces its role as a critical pillar in the region’s financial infrastructure. As global market conditions grow more complex, the exchange’s rising adoption by Shariah-based investors, bullion traders, and institutional participants alike highlights the growing demand and broad appeal for sophisticated, secure, and transparent hedging tools – a position we expect will get stronger as we continue to reinforce Dubai’s standing as a world-class centre for commodities and derivatives trading.”

Read: World Gold Council: Gold prices rise 26% in H1; see outlook for H2

DGCX plays a vital role in Dubai’s status as a leading global gold trading hub. Supported by DMCC’s broader ecosystem, it complements the activities of over 1,500 member companies engaged in precious metals trading.

The strong H1 results build on DGCX’s full-year 2024 performance, which saw 1.56 million contracts traded, with a notional value exceeding $37bn. The exchange is now on track to exceed that total in 2025, reinforcing its leadership as the Middle East’s top derivatives marketplace.