Arab Finance: Consumer gold purchases in several Arab markets saw a noticeable decline in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, with gold demand falling by 16% and 20% in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, respectively, according to data from the World Gold Council cited by Al Arabiya.

In the UAE and Kuwait, gold purchases dropped by 5% and 2%, respectively.

Total consumer gold demand across the four countries reached 42.6 metric tons in Q2 2025, down from 49 tons during Q2 2024 and 45 tons in Q1 2025, signaling a broader regional slowdown.

In Egypt, consumer gold purchases declined to 11.5 tons in Q2 2025, compared to 14.4 tons in the same quarter of 2024. However, the figure marks a slight increase from the 11.1 tons bought in Q1 2025.

Demand for gold bars in Egypt rose to 5.9 tons from 4.7 tons in Q1 2025, though still below the 7.6 tons recorded in Q2 2024. The improvement suggests a partial recovery in investor appetite for direct gold holdings.

Meanwhile, demand for gold jewelry in Egypt fell to 5.7 tons in Q2 2025, down from 6.8 tons a year earlier and 6.4 tons in Q1 2025, indicating weaker interest in gold for ornamental use.