Forex session times in the UAE (Dubai) by date
Each row is one stretch between clock changes, on GST.
| Period | London | New York | Overlap | Tokyo | Sydney | Week opens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now → 25 Oct 2026 | 11:00 – 20:00 | 16:00 – 01:00 (next day) | 16:00 – 20:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | Mon 01:00 |
| 25 Oct 2026 → 1 Nov 2026 London's clocks go back to GMT | 12:00 – 21:00 | 16:00 – 01:00 (next day) | 16:00 – 21:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | Mon 01:00 |
| 1 Nov 2026 → 14 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go back to EST | 12:00 – 21:00 | 17:00 – 02:00 (next day) | 17:00 – 21:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | Mon 02:00 |
| 14 Mar 2027 → 28 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go forward to EDT | 12:00 – 21:00 | 16:00 – 01:00 (next day) | 16:00 – 21:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | Mon 01:00 |
| 28 Mar 2027 → 3 Apr 2027 London's clocks go forward to BST | 11:00 – 20:00 | 16:00 – 01:00 (next day) | 16:00 – 20:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | Mon 01:00 |
| 3 Apr 2027 → 2 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go back to AEST | 11:00 – 20:00 | 16:00 – 01:00 (next day) | 16:00 – 20:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 | Mon 01:00 |
| 2 Oct 2027 → 18 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go forward to AEDT | 11:00 – 20:00 | 16:00 – 01:00 (next day) | 16:00 – 20:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | Mon 01:00 |
Why the times move, and what changes next
The sessions move on GST whenever New York, London or Sydney changes its clocks. Each row is one stretch between changes over the next twelve months.
Right now until 25 Oct 2026: London 11:00–20:00 GST, New York 16:00–01:00 (next day), both open 16:00–20:00; the week opens Monday 01:00 GST. From 25 Oct 2026 (London's clocks go back to GMT): London 12:00–21:00, New York 16:00–01:00 (next day), overlap 16:00–21:00.
Forex brokers and regulators in the UAE and the DIFC
From 5 official sources, checked 8 October 2026.
What the official sources say
Onshore, the UAE's federal markets regulator is the Capital Market Authority: two federal decree-laws (Nos. 32 and 33 of 2025), in force since 1 January 2026, renamed the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA). Its rulebook lists "trading broker of OTC derivatives, commodity contracts and currencies in the spot market" as a licensed activity and says no financial activity may be practised without its licence or approval; it also publishes warnings about entities that advertise regulated activities without one.
In the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) applies its own rules when firms deal with retail clients in leveraged CFDs and rolling spot forex contracts. A firm must not open a position for a retail client unless the client has posted margin of at least 3.3% of the exposure on a major currency pair (about 30:1 leverage; the DFSA's majors are any two of the US dollar, euro, yen, sterling, Swiss franc and the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars) and 5% on other currency pairs and gold (20:1).
This is a summary of public sources, not legal or tax advice. Rules and hours change: check with your regulator, and with your broker, before you open an account.
- Capital Market Authority (UAE): Federal Decree-Laws No. 32 and 33 of 2025, checked 8 October 2026
- Capital Market Authority (UAE): rulebook section 2, financial activities, checked 8 October 2026
- Capital Market Authority (UAE): warnings, checked 8 October 2026
- DFSA Rulebook: COB 6.16.2 (restricted speculative investments), checked 8 October 2026
- DFSA Rulebook: COB 6.16.6 (minimum margin for retail clients), checked 8 October 2026
Forex session times in the UAE (Dubai): January and July
Each city's business day on its own clock, converted to GST for a mid-January and a mid-July day.
| Session (local hours) | GST, mid-January (UTC+4) | GST, mid-July (UTC+4) |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney 07:00–16:00 | 00:00 – 09:00 | 01:00 – 10:00 |
| Tokyo 09:00–18:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 | 04:00 – 13:00 |
| London 08:00–17:00 | 12:00 – 21:00 | 11:00 – 20:00 |
| New York 08:00–17:00 | 17:00 – 02:00 (next day) | 16:00 – 01:00 (next day) |
Session overlaps in the UAE (Dubai)
London–New York, and the shorter Sydney–Tokyo and Tokyo–London overlaps, on GST.
| Overlap | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney + Tokyo | 04:00 – 09:00 (5 h) | 04:00 – 10:00 (6 h) |
| Tokyo + London | 12:00 – 13:00 (1 h) | 11:00 – 13:00 (2 h) |
| London + New York | 17:00 – 21:00 (4 h) | 16:00 – 20:00 (4 h) |
Why London–New York, with the source
London and New York overlap when the two largest trading locations' business days coincide; the UK alone handled 38% of global FX turnover in April 2025 (BIS). That is a fact about volume by location, not a forecast for any pair or hour.
Best time to trade forex in the UAE (Dubai)
The London–New York overlap: the two largest FX trading locations, both in their business day.
The times, and the limits
If you want the hours when the two largest FX trading locations are both in their business day, trade the London–New York overlap: 17:00–21:00 GST in mid-January and 16:00–20:00 GST in mid-July; this week's dated times are in the first table on this page. No window is best for every pair, strategy or news day, so check the spread and the economic calendar before relying on it.
Weekly open and close in the UAE (Dubai)
Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time, read on GST.
| Weekly | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Opens (Sunday 17:00 New York) | Monday 02:00 | Monday 01:00 |
| Closes (Friday 17:00 New York) | Saturday 02:00 | Saturday 01:00 |
Broker hours, with a source
The week runs from Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time. Brokers differ by minutes: OANDA lists 17:05 to 16:59 with a daily 16:59–17:05 break (OANDA, checked 7 October 2026).
Does daylight saving change forex hours in the UAE (Dubai)?
The UAE stays on UTC+4 all year.
How the clock changes move the sessions
The session times on this clock still move by an hour, because New York, London and Sydney change their clocks, on different dates. The live clock above applies every change for today's date.