For decades, gold investing in the Middle East followed familiar routes: jewelry purchases, physical bullion from dealers, or banking products. Recently, however, digital investment platforms have begun offering gold as an accessible asset class, not as a luxury purchase, but as a practical portfolio component.
Apps like Thndr, Wio Bank, and Sarwa are part of a broader shift reshaping how individuals across the region approach saving and investing.
Why Invest in Gold Apps During Inflation?
The renewed interest in gold comes at a time of rising prices and global uncertainty. As inflation makes money lose value over time and economic conditions remain unpredictable, many people are turning to gold as a safer way to protect their savings, according to market analysts. Investment demand remained elevated in the Middle East region, hovering just above the average level of the last three years, with growth concentrated in Saudi Arabia, driven by positive price expectations and Iran due to currency depreciation, high inflation, and concern over unpredictable US foreign policy, according to the World Gold Council’s Q1 2025 report.
Gold prices surged over 60 percent in 2025, reaching record highs. In this environment, platforms integrating gold offerings align with investor demand for stability and portfolio diversification.
How Thndr and Sarwa Simplify Gold Investing
Digital platforms have lowered traditional barriers to gold investment. According to news reports, residents increasingly buy tiny amounts online, often starting from just 0.1 grams and spending around Dh500 per purchase to steadily build their holdings through apps.
Thndr, which operates in Egypt and the UAE, offers investment in stocks, mutual funds, and gold with no account minimum. Wio Bank’s investment arm, Wio Securities, provides access to stocks, ETFs, and other assets. Sarwa, a UAE-based platform, enables users to trade gold ETFs and ETCs alongside stocks and other securities, with fractional trading starting from as little as one dollar.
These platforms share common features: simplified onboarding, real-time price tracking, and the ability to buy or sell without navigating complex banking products or meeting high minimum thresholds.
Modernizing Gold Investment Culture in the ME
Gold holds deep cultural significance across the Middle East, associated with security, heritage, and long-term value. What has changed is the infrastructure around it.
Digital investment apps translate a familiar asset into a modern financial product. Instead of buying gold solely for weddings or safekeeping, users are now engaging with it as part of diversified portfolios, alongside stocks, ETFs, and savings products. More first-time and younger investors are treating gold like a savings plan, topping up in small, regular amounts instead of waiting to accumulate large sums, according to industry analysts.
Are Digital Gold Apps Regulated and Safe?
The rise of gold offerings within regulated investment apps reflects growing trust in regional fintech ecosystems. Thndr is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority in the Abu Dhabi Global Market. Wio Securities is regulated by the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority. Sarwa operates under regulation from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority in the ADGM.
This regulatory framework gives users confidence that their investments are transparent, auditable, and secure, key factors when dealing with precious metals.
How Digital Gold Encourages Long-Term Investing
Unlike high-risk trading features, gold products tend to encourage longer holding periods. For investment apps, this aligns with a strategic move toward sustainable financial behavior rather than short-term speculation.
For users, it signals a broader change in approach, from chasing quick gains to building resilience against economic cycles. As infrastructure matures and regulation strengthens, digital gold is moving from a niche experiment to a mainstream savings tool for a new investing generation.
What Digital Gold Means for the Middle East’s Financial Future
The inclusion of gold on major investment platforms reflects a Middle East where retail investors are becoming more sophisticated, where fintech is adapting to local values, and where traditional assets are being reintroduced through modern systems.
Gold’s return, in digital form, suggests that the region’s financial future is being built not by abandoning the past, but by reimagining it through accessible, regulated technology.
