Units used in the Gulf and South Asia
Tola: the traditional gold weight in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and still used in Gulf gold souqs. One tola is 11.6638 grams, so ten tola is about 116.6 grams. The 10-tola gold bar is popular in the Gulf.
Mithqal: about 4.25 grams of gold, the weight used for the Zakat threshold (85 grams = 20 mithqal).
Square feet: flats and offices in the Gulf are usually advertised in square feet. 1 square metre = 10.764 square feet.
Dunam, feddan, marla and kanal: land units. A dunam is 1,000 m² in Jordan and Palestine; a feddan is 4,200 m² in Egypt; in Pakistan a marla is usually 272.25 sq ft and a kanal 20 marla.
Gallons: a US gallon is 3.785 litres, an imperial gallon 4.546 litres. Sharjah water bills use imperial gallons.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is one tola?
One tola is 11.6638 grams.
How many grams is a troy ounce?
One troy ounce, the unit used for gold prices, is 31.1035 grams. A regular ounce is 28.35 grams.
Why does a marla have different sizes?
Local custom differs. We use 272.25 sq ft (25.29 m²), the common value in Pakistan's revenue records; some housing schemes use 225 or 250 sq ft.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
This page was translated from Arabic. If something is unclear or wrong, please tell us.