Gold prices rise ahead of US jobs data

Gold bars

Gold prices rose on Friday despite the dollar rise, as investors await the US jobs data to gauge the strength of the US economy and seek additional clues for the Federal Reserve's upcoming interest rate decision.

Gold futures for February delivery rose 0.45% to $2,660.6 per ounce at 9:21 am Makkah time.

Gold spot prices also increased 0.35% to $2,641.13 per ounce.

In addition, silver futures for March delivery were up 1% to $31.87, and platinum spot prices rose 1.3% to $975.5.

The US dollar index, which measures the greenback's performance against a basket of six other currencies, rose slightly by 0.1%, reaching 105 points.

Investors are anticipating the US non-farm payroll data, which is expected to show an increase of 200,000 jobs in February, following a rise of only 12,000 jobs in October.