6 days ago
Two full-time jobs: These UAE residents work in the morning, trade in the evening
Finishing work at 3pm sharp, Ahmed Al Mansoori, an Emirati resident of Abu Dhabi, heads straight to the gym, then home for a late lunch. But unlike most of his peers, he's not unwinding for the night, he's getting ready for what he calls 'part two of the day.'
As the US markets open at 5.30pm UAE time, a growing number of full-time employees are becoming part-time traders, running dual careers driven by ambition, risk tolerance, and the hope of financial freedom.
'I'm at my desk by 5.20pm, coffee in hand, news feeds open,' said the 32-year-old Ahmed. 'I check pre-market sentiment, look at my watchlist, and see if any of the stocks I track are gapping up or showing unusual volume.'
A self-taught trader, Ahmed fell into the world of US equities during the pandemic. 'It started with watching YouTube videos from traders like Ricky Gutierrez and ZipTrader. Then I opened a demo account and paper-traded for four months before putting real money in.' He recalls the early mistakes – averaging down on bad trades, chasing FOMO rallies, and misreading earnings reports.
Now he trades mainly tech and growth stocks, focusing on price action. He relies heavily on AI tools for sentiment analysis and real-time news alerts. 'If a CEO tweets something it changes the whole game. I learned to read the tape, not just the headlines.'
His portfolio is modest but growing. He risks around 1 to 2 per cent per trade and keeps strict stop-losses. 'You have to protect your downside. One bad trade can wipe out a week's profit. That's the difference between gambling and trading.'
Despite his growing confidence, he's not looking to quit his government day job. 'This is a passion, but I still need the stability. I don't want to depend on the market to pay rent.'
Harsh Rastogo, an entrepreneur and marketing consultant, has been trading for 24 years, and balancing it with a full-time job comes with its challenges. 'Your mind is often split; even while working, part of you is constantly thinking about the stock market,' he said.
Rastogo trades on the US stock market, which means the trading hours fall outside his regular working hours. 'I usually dedicate time at night or early in the morning before work to review charts and market conditions, but I keep it very efficient,' he said.
Rastogo plans his trades in advance and only focuses on a small set of carefully selected stocks. 'Some weeks, I may only take one trade. At other times, I might not trade at all. And occasionally, if the market presents more opportunities, I might do three or four trades in a week. It really depends on the market,' he said. He manages both his full-time job and the market by acting on trades he thinks are best instead of chasing every opportunity, which he said has helped his mindset of quality over quantity.
Even though he spends a lot of time checking charts and market conditions, Rastogo still views trading as a side hustle, not his true career. 'The markets are unpredictable and volatile, and no matter how skilled or prepared you are, there's always a high level of uncertainty,' he expressed. 'Trading pays more, but I don't trust it.'
Ravi Patel, 35, has worked in logistics in Dubai for over a decade. His day job pays well, but it's his trading screen that's built him real wealth. He started learning about stocks in 2017 after a friend made a quick return and told him about it. 'At first, I had no idea what I was doing. I'd read Reddit threads and try to copy trades. I lost money. A lot.'
What changed things for Ravi was structure. He enrolled in a US-based online mentorship group and learned technical analysis. He goes to work half an hour early every day so he can clock out at 5 and be at his home trading desk by 5.30. 'That first hour of the US market is volatile. You need to be ready. Orders get filled in seconds. If you hesitate, it's gone.'
Today, Ravi earns more from trading than his annual salary. 'Last year, I made about Dh180,000 from it. But I still keep my job because when the market turns, it's brutal. I've had months where I lost 15 to 20 per cent. You can't rely on it unless you're okay with uncertainty.'
He said the benefits go beyond income. 'I've learned discipline, patience, and how to control my emotions. Sometimes I feel like I'm glued to the screen.'
He trades until midnight on some days and journals every trade. 'You have to track your performance like an athlete. What went right, what went wrong, where you hesitated.'
