Last updated: 28 August 2026
Working in the Gulf usually means savings spread across a UAE or Saudi bank account, gold at home in Pakistan, and money owed to or by you. That makes working out what you owe more fiddly than it should be. This Zakat calculator pulls it together: enter what you hold, subtract what you owe, and see whether you have reached nisab and what 2.5% comes to.
Zakat calculator
Zakat is due at 2.5% on qualifying wealth you have held for one lunar year (hawl), provided it exceeds the nisab threshold. Enter today’s gold and silver prices in your currency — they change daily.
What you own
What you owe
Estimate only. Scholarly opinions differ on some assets (pensions, long-term investments, jewellery in regular use, and how debts are deducted). For anything significant or unusual, ask a qualified scholar. Zakat is due on wealth held for one lunar year.
How Zakat is calculated
Zakat is 2.5% of your qualifying net wealth, payable once your wealth has been above the nisab threshold for one full lunar year. Two things trip people up. First, it is charged on savings and assets you still hold, not on your income — a high salary that you spend entirely attracts no Zakat, while modest savings sitting untouched do. Second, the year is lunar, not calendar, so your due date moves roughly eleven days earlier each Gregorian year.
Most people simply pick a fixed date in the Islamic calendar — Ramadan is popular — and calculate on that same date every year. That is perfectly acceptable and much easier to keep track of.
Nisab: the threshold that decides whether you pay
Nisab is the minimum wealth at which Zakat becomes due. It is defined two ways:
- Gold standard: the value of 87.48 grams of gold
- Silver standard: the value of 612.36 grams of silver
Because silver is far cheaper per gram, the silver nisab produces a much lower threshold — meaning more people qualify to pay. Many scholars recommend using the silver standard precisely for that reason: it is the more cautious choice and results in more being given to those entitled to it. The calculator lets you pick either and shows you both figures so you can see the difference.
What counts — and what does not
Generally included: cash in hand and in bank accounts, savings, gold and silver (including jewellery, on the majority view), shares and investments held for growth, business stock and goods held for sale, committee/BC contributions you are owed, and money lent out that you reasonably expect back.
Generally excluded: the home you live in, your personal car, household furniture and clothing, and tools you use to earn a living. These are personal-use items, not accumulated wealth.
Where scholars differ: pension and end-of-service funds you cannot access yet, long-term investment property, and jewellery in regular everyday use. Opinions vary genuinely on these — if a large sum is involved, it is worth asking a scholar rather than guessing. Your end-of-service gratuity is a good example: views differ on whether Zakat applies before you actually receive it.
A worked example for a Gulf expat
Say you are working in Dubai and, on your chosen date, you hold:
- AED 40,000 across your UAE bank accounts
- 60 grams of gold kept with family in Pakistan
- AED 10,000 lent to a cousin, expected back
- AED 8,000 of credit-card and bills due now
Convert the gold to its current market value, add the cash and the loan, subtract the AED 8,000 owed, and check the remainder against nisab. If it is above, 2.5% of that net figure is your Zakat. The calculator above does exactly this arithmetic once you enter today’s gold price — note that gold held in another country still counts; location does not exempt it.
Paying from the Gulf
Most expats send Zakat home to family, a local mosque, or a registered charity in Pakistan or India. If you are transferring it, the exchange rate matters as much as it does for any remittance — a poor rate quietly reduces the amount that actually reaches the recipient. Compare the final amount received rather than the advertised fee; our guides to the best money transfer apps in the UAE and sending money from UAE to Pakistan cover how to get the best rate, and there are corridor guides for Saudi Arabia and India too.
Give yourself a few days before your Zakat date if you are sending a large amount, since first-time beneficiary verification and higher-value transfers can take longer to clear.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Zakat rate? 2.5% of qualifying net wealth held for one lunar year above the nisab threshold.
Should I use the gold or silver nisab? Many scholars recommend silver because it sets a lower threshold, meaning more people pay and more reaches those entitled. The calculator shows both so you can compare.
Do I pay Zakat on gold jewellery I wear? The majority view is yes, gold and silver are zakatable regardless of use, though some scholars exempt jewellery in regular everyday use. Follow the position you are confident in.
Do I pay Zakat on my salary? Not on the income itself — on whatever remains saved when your Zakat date comes round, if it is above nisab.
Can I deduct my mortgage or car loan? You generally deduct payments currently due, not the entire remaining term of a long-term loan. Scholars differ on the detail, so ask if the sum is significant.
Does gold kept in Pakistan count while I live in the Gulf? Yes. Zakat is on wealth you own, wherever it is physically held.