Forex trading in Dubai requires a DFSA-regulated forex broker based in the UAE. We compared the best forex brokers in Dubai including Islamic accounts based on September 2023 spreads, and trading platforms for forex.
Our forex comparisons and broker reviews are reader supported and we may receive payment when you click on a link to a partner site.
The best DFSA regulated forex brokers for Dubai and UAE traders list is:
| Broker | Our Rating | Regulation | Standard EUR/USD Spread |
Standard GBP/USD Spread |
Standard AUD/USD Spread |
Raw EUR/USD Spread |
Raw GBP/USD Spread |
Raw AUD/USD Spread |
Commissions (USD Base) |
MetaTrader 4 | MetaTrader 5 | cTrader | Execution Speed | Minimum Deposit | Currency Pairs | Crypto CFDs | Retail Leverage | Prof. Leverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9.33 |
ASIC,DFSA, FCA,CySEC BaFin,CMA,SCB |
1.12 | 1.69 | 1.22 | 0.17 | 0.59 | 0.24 | $3.50 |
|
|
|
77ms | $0 | 62+ | 12+ | 30:1 | 500:1 |
|
|
8.33 |
ASIC, FSCA CBI, KNF, CIRO ADGM, FSC-BVI |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
|
|
|
160ms | $100 | 55+ | 15+ | 30:1 | 400:1 |
|
|
7.83 |
FCA, FINMA MAS, DFSA, MFSA |
1.7 | 2 | 1.6 | - | - | - | 2 |
|
|
|
170ms | $1000 | 76+ | 26+ | 30:1 | 400:1 |
|
|
6.67 |
ASIC, FCA, BaFin FINMA, NFA/CFTC, MAS CySEC, DFSA, FMA JFSA, BMA, FSCA |
1.13 | 1.66 | 1.01 | 0.16 | 0.59 | 0.29 | $6.00 |
|
|
|
174ms | $450 | 100+ | 12+ | 30:1 | 200:1 |
|
|
6.0 |
ASIC, FINMA FCA, MAS |
1.20 | 1.8 | 0.9 | - | - | - | - |
|
|
|
135ms | $2000 | 209+ | 9+ | 50:1 | 50:1 |
|
|
4.83 |
DFSA, FCA ASIC, FMA |
1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.44 | 0.85 | 0.42 | $3.50 |
|
|
|
90ms | $0 | 72+ | 11+ | 30:1 | 400:1 |
|
|
6.83 |
DFSA, FCA CySEC, CIMA |
1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | $4.00 |
|
|
|
170ms | $100 | 69+ | 14+ | 30:1 | 500:1 |
|
|
5.42 |
FCA, DFSA, CySEC BaFin, CMNV, KNF |
0.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.14 | 0.13 | - |
|
|
|
160ms | $250 | 49+ | 16+ | 30:1 | 500:1 |
|
A global hub for forex trading, the United Arab Emirates is home to a range of high-quality online brokers offering competitive spreads, fast execution speeds, and advanced trading tools. In this guide, we’ll review the top brokers in Dubai and provide an overview of their key features and benefits, including Islamic accounts. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced trader, our rankings and reviews can help you find the right broker for your needs in the thriving UAE forex market.
Pepperstone Offers The Best Trading Experience And Low Standard Account Spreads
Pepperstone was awarded the best Dubai forex broker as it is regulated by the DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority) while offering clients:
Established in Dubai two years ago as Pepperstone Financial Services, the broker holds the DFSA license number F004356.
Pepperstone ReviewVisit Pepperstone
Spreads Offered By Pepperstone
Our September 2023 comparison of the Dubai forex brokers (and UAE) found Pepperstone has the lowest spreads on most of the currency pairs. The table below is based on the average spreads published by each broker on their website.
Pepperstone ReviewVisit Pepperstone
The spreads displayed are for the Pepperstone razor account which offers the lowest brokerage for Dubai traders. It combines a spread and commission to determine the final brokerage when trading forex or CFDs. The other option is the standard account which has no commission but with higher spreads. If you are unsure which account is right for your needs, you can view the razor vs standard account comparison.
The commission charged on the Razor account depends on the base currency selected. There are 10 base currencies offered with the most popular being the USD, EUR, and GBP. The commission rates of each are shown below.
The calculator below compares the average brokerage of Pepperstone to Axi and IG. This combines the average spread of 2023, commissions, and current forex swaps. It highlights just how much traders can save on each trade when selecting the Pepperstone Razor account.
Calculate Your Trading Costs Below
Total Fees
Commission
Spread Costs
Total
Total Fees
Commission
Spread Costs
Total
Total Fees
Commission
Spread Costs
Total
Forex Trading Platform Options By Pepperstone
Dubai forex traders can choose from the three most popular trading platforms worldwide including:
As a general recommendation, MT4 is recommended for individuals looking to primarily trade forex. MT5 is the best option for trading CFDs such as indices and shares white cTrader is designed for scalping and automated trading. Below compares the three main trading platforms and also includes TradingView which is an add-on for traders who select the cTrader razor account. The platforms also support 38 languages from Arabic to Persian.
Pepperstone Execution Speeds
As Pepperstone aggregates price quotes from 22 tier-one liquidity providers, it can ensure lightning-fast execution of market orders, with an advertised execution speed of 30 ms. Fast order execution speed is helpful to scalpers and social trading (copy trades). To get a more accurate reading of the ECN order execution speed, we used a MetaTrader 4 script to verify the quality of trade execution for various brokers. The results of our testing revealed that Pepperstone records an impressive execution speed of 100 milliseconds.
Below you can view a full trade execution speed comparison among Dubai forex brokers using limit orders.
Customer Service Levels Offered By Pepperstone
In 2023 the Investment Trends leverage report based on a survey of real traders found Pepperstone has the most satisfied clients. This was due to the low trading fees and fast execution speed combined with their customer support 24/5 in the UAE. These include:
The contact center is based in Dubai and supported by other global offices which have multilingual teams.
Verdict On Pepperstone
For our review of the UAE forex brokers, Pepperstone ranked on top of our star scoring system because it’s the perfect fit for Muslim traders and professional traders alike. You can start forex trading with low spreads, competitive commissions, easy-to-use trading platforms, fast order execution speed, and a wide range of tradable instruments. Don‘t miss the chance to claim your FREE demo account by clicking the button below.
Pepperstone ReviewVisit Pepperstone
AvaTrade Affords Stability To Your Trades With Its Fixed Spread
While all other brokers on this list offer variable spreads, AvaTrade spreads are mostly fixed. Fixed spreads shield you from wild swings in prices which can prevent significant losses. Since fixed spreads mean better predictability they are a good option for new traders and traders relying on stable spreads as a trading strategy.
As a bonus, AvaTrade does not provide restrictions on short selling and scalping. You can even use Expert Advisors through the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading platforms to automate your trading or via their copy trading platforms such as ZuluTrade, DupliTrade, and AvaSocial. These features are somewhat unusual for a market maker and rarely found with brokers offering fixed spreads.
Trading Accounts and Spreads
AvaTrade is a market maker, however, this does not mean you are paying more than other brokers. Spreads with AvaTrade start from 0.9 pips and have no commission costs which is very competitive when it comes to fixed spreads, in some cases, even better than some brokers offer for their standard account. This is impressive because fixed spreads are generally wider as the broker takes on the most risk when spreads move with extreme volatility.
|
Fixed Account Spreads
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0.90 | 1.10 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.00 |
|
0.70 | 1.20 | 1.50 | 1.30 | 1.00 |
|
1.94 | 2.36 | 2.11 | 2.05 | 1.83 |
|
1.60 | 1.90 | 1.70 | 2.10 | 1.60 |
|
3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Avg. spreads are taken from each broker's website and updated monthly. Last update on 01/09/2023
To commence trading, you will need to deposit US$100 to open an account, however, this can be used towards any trades you do. Deposits can be done using credit cards, wire transfers, and e-wallets such as Skrill, WebMoney, and Neteller.
Trading Products
AvaTrade offers trading through a comprehensive range of products. 55 forex pairs are available to trade which is quite a comprehensive collection.
What makes AvaTrade unique is the availability of vanilla options for forex (plus gold) trading. Vanilla options are contracts that allow you to buy or sell at a certain price at a pre-defined time for a small premium. The options period can range from one day to one year.
To ensure you get the optimal trading experience when trading options, AvaTrade has its own app designed specifically for options trading. This app is called AvaOptions.
Trading Platforms
A solid range of trading platforms is available with AvaTrade to cover the needs of all traders.
Both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are available. As covered on this page already, MetaTrader 4 is the world’s most used trading platform for forex, while MetaTrader 5 offers superior trading features and is the better option when it comes to trading stocks.
What makes using the MT4 or MT5 platform with AvaTrade stand out is the ability to automate your trading using Expert Advisors. Many market makers do not permit automated trading and even fewer do when it comes to trading with fixed spreads so this is a strong point of AvaTrade.
Social Trading and Copy Trading
If you wish to social trade or copy trade then ZuluTrade and DupliTrade are available. These tools allow you to automatically copy other traders in their community. AvaTrade also has its own app for social trading called AvaSocial should you wish to trade via your mobile.
AvaTrade Proprietary Trading Apps
Lastly, AvaTrade has its own trading platform apps, AvaTradeGo (for trading all CFD products) which include the innovative AvaProtect™, AvaOptions for options trading, and AvaSocial for Social Trading.
SwissQuote Offers The Widest Selection of CFDs, Forex, And Cryptocurrencies
Our team of experts at Compare Forex Brokers has concluded that, among the best-regulated brokers in the UAE, Swissquote offers the broadest range of complex instruments (CFDs) on stock indices, commodities and bonds, as well as foreign exchange and cryptocurrencies.
Registered with the DIFC, Swissquote MEA Ltd is licensed and regulated by the DFSA. Swissquote Ltd is registered in England and Wales and regulated by UK’s FCA.
With Swissquote, Dubai-based traders have the opportunity to choose from a variety of CFD instruments, including:
The details for each type of CFD are presented in the following table:
In addition, the broker offers up to 12 cryptocurrencies on its eTrading platform, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Chainlink, Ethereum Classic, EOS, Stellar, Tezos, Novur, and Ox.
Dubai crypto traders can enjoy the following advantages:
Summary of SwissQuote Findings
Swissquote offers forex traders from the Saudi Arabia peninsula full access to the forex market and an additional 130 CFD instruments and digital currencies. UAE clients that want to trade forex and CFD instruments need to be ready to invest a minimum deposit of $1,000 and $50,000 for the VIP trading account.
Saxo Bank Provides Its Clients With Lower Spreads And Premium Benefits
Saxo Bank is a multi-regulated broker that operates in the UAE under DFSA oversight. If you want forex brokerage services with extra perks, Saxo Bank’s VIP trading account offers discounted pricing and exclusive benefits.
As a market maker broker, Saxo Bank only offers commission-free spreads, with no STP or ECN-style trading account available. Three account tiers are available with different pricing and levels of customer support.
Compared to other VIP retail investor accounts, Saxo Bank provides some of the best discounts for VIP traders. For instance, Saxo’s standard account holders trade spreads as low as 0.6 pips, while VIP clients are offered 0.4 pips.
In addition to lower spreads, VIP customers gain the following premium benefits:
To start trading CFDs and forex via a VIP account, a high minimum deposit of $1,250,000 (USD) is required. With such a large deposit needed, VIP accounts are best suited to high-volume, experienced traders.
Summary of Saxo Bank Findings
Ideal for active, high-volume traders, Saxo Bank’s VIP account type provides you access to tight no-commission spreads as low as 0.4 pips. To complement its discounted spreads, the broker offers additional benefits to VIP accounts such as advanced analysis and access to senior management’s input and exclusive events.
IG Allows For Trading With The Little or No Deposits
IG is one of the world’s largest DFSA-regulated forex brokers ranked as the best forex broker with a low minimum deposit. Dubai-based retail clients who seek to start trading with the lowest amount possible may put their trust in a regulated forex broker such as IG.
Founded in 1974, IG Group Holdings Plc is a leading multi-regulated online trading provider serving customers from offices in 16 countries across 5 continents. IG is the trade name of IG Limited, an entity registered in the DIFC and regulated by the DFSA.
IG allows clients to fund their trading account by using one of the following methods:
No minimum deposit is required should clients choose to fund their IG account via wire transfer or via bPay. However, if they choose to fund via a Debit or a Credit card, they will have to have a minimum deposit of $300 (or the equivalent in your domestic currency).
IG trading accounts can be funded by using 6 different account base currencies, including:
Islamic traders can take advantage of IG’s swap-free trading account and operate with a range of futures contracts that expire every Friday. All the costs are built into the broker’s spreads and there are no overnight charges.
Summary of IG Findings
IG offers traders from the UAE direct market access to over 17,000 CFD instruments including stockbroker services (over 12,000 stocks from global stock exchanges), a large choice of forex trading platforms, price improvement technology, and low spreads that start from 0.6 pips on EUR/USD. IG only scored poorly for its low forex leverage of up to 50:1.
HYCM Is Well-Esteemed As A Reputable Financial Institution
HYCM is a multi-regulated, award-winning broker with rich business history. HYCM is the trade name of Henyep Capital Markets (UK) Limited, HYCM (Europe) Ltd, HYCM Limited, and Henyep Capital Markets (DIFC) Limited, all of which operate under one parent company – the Henyep Capital Markets group.
Based in Hong Kong, the Henyep Group is a global corporation that operates a diversified portfolio of businesses across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, including:
Note* The company has regional offices in London, Dubai, Kuwait, and Limassol.
HYCM Business History
HYCM has over 40 years of financial experience serving clients mainly in Asia and the Middle East. The pivotal years of HYCM’s history can be summarized as follows:
In 2016, Henyep Investment Bank is renamed Henyep Capital Markets (DIFC) Ltd. Meanwhile, the Henyep Group consolidates capital markets investment brands and launches HYCM.com.
Our 40-year Group heritage in the financial markets has positioned us as one of the most trusted and transparent brokers in the Forex industry, serving both institutional and retail clients across the globe.
Forex Trading Regulation
Henyep Capital Markets (UK) Limited is regulated by the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under reference number 186171.
HYCM (Europe) Ltd is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 259/14. HYCM is authorized to offer services to residents of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden.
Henyep Capital Markets (DIFC) Limited is regulated by the DFSA under license number 000048 and is allowed to service professional and retail customers in Dubai.
Online Trading UAE Awards
Over the past decade, HYCM has received 24 awards internationally, among which 7 in the UAE:
Axi Boasts Of MetaTrader4’s Full Capabilities For Efficient Trading
When it comes to the best MetaTrader 4 trading platform offerings among the top DFSA-regulated forex brokers that we reviewed, Axi (formerly Axitrader) clearly outpaces the competition. Axi is an international CFD broker regulated by tier-one financial institutions, as follows:
Axi’s MetaTrader 4 package includes a full suite of functions such as charts, analysis tools, and price alerts, while the MT4 trading platform is available for:
Advanced technology for faster execution and better pricing
Axi’s MT4 offering is based on superior network technology, which allows for considerable latency reduction. This means the chance for traders to experience slippage is also reduced significantly, which ensures lower trading costs compared to a standard connection. Axi’s servers are collocated in major financial centers and are connected directly to a pool of 20+ liquidity providers. The top-notch technological solution offered by Axi translates into fast order execution speed. Axi can boost the 130-millisecond execution speed of market orders.
Note: The below testings were conducted using a third-party MetaTrader 4 script on a demo account using market orders.
MetaTrader 4 trading platform instruments and features
With Axi’s MT4 offering, traders based in the UAE can access more than 150 financial instruments, including:
MT4’s real-time pricing makes it possible for forex traders to closely monitor the movement of a particular financial market. Additionally, they are able to choose how market data is presented by using MT4 live charting options. The platform will also allow them to take advantage of automated trading via Expert Advisors and automated news updates. eToro which is the leading social trading broker worldwide is not DFSA regulated so the MT4 copy trading feature through Axi is a leading choice for Dubai traders.
Another essential feature is the Autochartist MetaTrader Plugin, which is a sophisticated real-time market scanner that allows Forex traders to automatically identify chart patterns without human intervention. This Autochartist is also available on a demo account with Axi.
The Autochartist MT4 Plugin ensures:
Note: Axi’s MT4 offering may be appropriate for both beginners and experienced traders, regardless of their trading style.
Axi Account Types
Axi offers UAE traders two account types to trade forex and other CFD instruments (+150 trading products):
The selection of financial instruments offered by Axi is abundant. Dubai-based traders can trade over 80+ currencies and CFD trading on commodities, metals, oil, indices, and cryptocurrencies.
Summary of Axi Findings
Axi offers MT4 trading accounts suitable for both professional traders and beginner traders. The UAE forex traders can deposit funds using 10 different base account currencies, access leverage up to 30:1, advanced technological solutions through MT4 NextGen, low latency, and much more. If you want to trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin through CFD contracts on the MetaTrader 4 trading platform, click the button below to claim your FREE 30-day demo account.
XM Has Superb Customer Support Via Live Chat, Phone, or Email
XM is a global broker that is regulated by Dubai’s financial authority (DFSA) as well as CYSEC, ASIC, FCA and IFSC. XM is popular among UAE traders as it offers good trading platform options (MT4 and MT5), tight spreads plus excellent customer service.
To get in touch with XM, you can use live chat, phone, or email. Phone and email inquiries are responded to 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, while live chat is available 24/7.
Regardless of which contact method you use, XM’s customer support representatives provide quick and relevant answers. If you have a general query about trading platforms, deposits, and withdrawals, or account types, the broker’s website provides a helpful FAQ section covering commonly asked questions.
Summary of XM Findings
The DFSA-regulated broker offers efficient customer support with live chat, email, and phone contact methods available. Traders based in the UAE can access help 24/5 via phone and email, or 24/7 using the broker’s live chat support.
XTB Offers A Highly Responsive Trading Platform For A Wide Range of Products
XTB has 20 years of experience in the forex and CFD industry which has seen it grow to become one of the largest brokers listed on a stock exchange (Warsaw Stock Exchange).
Regulated in 5 countries/regions, with 13 offices across the globe and nearly 500,000 clients, XTB is a trusted broker with a good reputation. These features are backed by fast and highly qualified support and a comprehensive education library.
With over 1900 trading products, an innovative proprietary trading platform, and low spreads, XTB offer a compelling case to be the broker for you.
Trading Accounts
XTB offers clients in Dubai a choice of two trading accounts. Most traders will use the standard account which uses straight-through processing to source the best interbank market price from top-tier banks. Spreads start from 0.05 pips and have no commission costs unless you trade stocks where you will pay a commission of 0.08%.
No minimum deposit is required to open an XTB account however you will need to meet margin requirements to open a position. Leverage starts from 30:1 for major currency pairs.
The other account is an Islamic account. This account is suitable for traders that comply with Sharia law since there is no riba in the swap accounts. You can trade all products with the XTB Islamic Account except for cryptocurrencies.
Unlike other brokers which apply an administration fee in place of swaps, XTB instead widens the spread slightly. For this reason, spreads start from 0.7 pips.
Trading Products
With 19,000 symbols to trade, it’s fair to say the XTB product range is large.
In addition to 57 Forex pairs, these symbols include CFDs on 1,891 stocks, 138 ETFs, 15 commodities, 37 indices and 14 cryptocurrencies. XTB also provides nearly 3000 spot shares and 277 spot ETFs as part of its securities offering.
The other benefit of being a UAE trader is access to leverage of up to 500:1 for Forex products. This means you can take on more risk for a potentially higher return when trading forex. As such, it’s important to be aware of the extra risk you are taking on.
Trading Platforms
XTB gives you access to 2 great trading platforms: the broker’s proprietary xStation and MetaTrader 4.
While MetaTrader 4 is still the most popular forex trading platform with excellent features, we highly recommend xStation as a superior platform option.
You can use xStation either via the mobile app or as a web platform, xStation 5. The app largely mirrors its web counterpart, in that it is cleanly designed and responsive with features such as streaming news, predefined watchlists, and an economic calendar. There are also several integrated educational videos and webinars in the mobile app.
Where the web platform stands out, is in its trading tools. In addition to its 30 charting drawing tools and 39 technical indicators, some unique trading tools include color-coded heat mapping for analyzing top movers, a versatile stock screener, and sentiment data.
Yes, forex trading is legal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Retail investors in the UAE wanting to trade forex and other CFDs need to ensure their broker is regulated by the Dubai Investment Financial Center (DIFC) which is the regulatory body with oversight for the Dubai Freezone or Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) for Abu Dhabi. The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CB of the UAE) also acts as a regulatory body.
A No Dealing Brokers (NDD) that uses ECN, STP or DMA (or a combination of them) trading execution tools will typically offer the lowest spreads. When using an NDD broker, choose a commission account as these spreads are tighter than a Standard account which is a spread-only account.
The regulatory frameworks that govern the activity of the best United Arab Emirates (UAE) forex brokers offer traders a fair and secure trading environment. All reviewed brokers offering financial services to UAE-based traders are regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and other tier-one regulatory agencies (ASIC, FCA or CySEC).
Based on our broker review validation process, Pepperstone was selected as the best forex broker in the UAE. The overall quality of the financial services offered by Pepperstone is superior to what the competition has to offer. Pepperstone stands out due to its range of trading platforms, lower average spreads and commissions, lightning-fast trade execution speed and access to a deep liquidity pool.
In addition, our team did a CFD broker comparison to rate the top UAE broker based on categories such as:
With over 40 years of experience in the financial markets, HYCM won easily as the most reputable forex trading platforms in the UAE. When it comes to MetaTrader 4 features, Axi took the most points in our star scoring system while IG Markets was named as the best forex broker in the UAE with low minimum deposits.
Additionally, FxPro and SwissQuote ranked as the best CFD brokers for UAE based traders with the lowest fixed spreads and the best range of CFD instruments, respectively.
Risk Warning: Trading Forex and CFD instruments come with a high-risk level of losing all your funds. CFDs are complex instruments, so you need to make sure you understand how CFD works before you invest any of your funds.
Forex Regulation In The UAE
Currency brokers in the UAE are governed by regulatory frameworks that comply with international standards. Regulation of forex trading services in the UAE is conducted by 4 main financial regulatory bodies, including:
Our team of industry experts at CompareForexBrokers will break down the regulatory environment in the UAE below.
Regulated Brokers in DIFC
Being the largest city within the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has become a global city and key financial center in the Middle East. Located within the city of Dubai is a federal financial free zone known as the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). Within this economic zone, financial services regulation is enforced by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), which operates only in the DIFC.
Brokers that do business in the DIFC are strictly regulated by the DFSA, while brokerages that operate outside the DIFC fall under the supervision of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CB of the UAE) and the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA).
Note: The SCA is the only regulatory agency in the UAE that is responsible for issuing forex licenses (CFD licenses).
In the past, Forex trading was not accessible to retail investors in the DIFC, but only to customers who were considered as professional traders. It was so due to a minimum requirement of over $1 million in liquid assets. However, due to the rising interest in retail forex, the DFSA introduced changes to the regulatory framework and included the following requirements:
As a regulator, the DFSA can help UAE traders to determine if a particular brokerage is regulated or not, and advise them on how to avoid scams and the steps to resolve disputes. DFSA brokers can’t accept traders in the United States.
CB of the UAE Forex Regulation
In its mission to ensure market fairness, transparency and customer protection, the CB of the UAE work in close cooperation with the SCA. It is the regulatory body that grants licenses to CFD brokers and ensures that licensed brokerages provide high-quality services to UAE clients. To obtain a license to do business in the UAE, currency brokers must meet two strict requirements:
Offshore brokerages can also service UAE clients through a local representative body (branch). You can view more brokers on our comparison page.
Disclaimer: Leverage is a high-risk instrument that can result in rapid losses. Please be aware of the high risk of losing your money.
Ask an Expert
Is the DFSA the only regulator in the UAE?
The UAE has a number of regulators – the DFSA is the regulator of the Dubai free trade zone, in much the same way the ADGM is the regulator of the Abu Dhabi free trade zone. Regulators on the mainland (outside the free trade zone) include the Central Bank of UAE and SCA (Securities and Commodities Authority)
Can i use DFSA regulated broker if i am in Abu Dhabi?
Yes, being in the UAE you can use a DFSA regulated broker throughout the region
I heard the DFSA are making changed later this year. Will this impact my trading conditions?
That is correct, On the 4th of December 2021, the DFSA tightened leverage conditions when trading. While retail traders could previously trade major forex pairs, gold and major indices at 50:1, it is not restricted to 20:1. Minor forex pairs and minor indices are now 10:1 after previously being 20:1. Other leverage changes include oil, now 20:1 (previously 50:1), commodities (excluding gold and oil) 10:1 (previously 20:1), shares 5:1 (previously 10:1), cryptocurrencies 2:1 (was 5:1). Bonds remain 20:1 and all other markets are now to 5:1.
All retail traders will also receive negative balance protection meaning you cannot lose more than your deposit. A margin close out will occur when the equity in your trading account drops below 50% which means traders using a guaranteed stop loss should check how margin close out rules will affect them with their broker.
I there any objection from the uae bank…for withdrawing and depositing money to forex broker ..or before starting a forex trading in UAE we have to get permission from Bank?
Hi Jamsheer, you will need to contact your local bank but technically you are not trading your money to the forex broker. If you are using a UAE regulated broker then the broker must have a segregated account in your name and this is where your money will be transferred to. This segregated account will most likely be with a UAE authorised bank. Since the account is segregated, the forex broker cannot touch the funding. Just make sure you are using a UAE regulated broker (i.e. DFSA, ADGM or CBUAE regulated).