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What are the Top Forex Brokers in Dubai?



Sep 30, 2020   1013 
Dubai and other Emirates of UAE are the centers of many forex traders, brokers, and other online trading activities in the Middle East. Here are the top forex brokers in the area.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the fastest-growing online trading centers in the world. It may not be as significant as the 4 major financial centers consisting of London, New York, Tokyo, and Sydney, but in general, the advanced development in UAE and its high-income population has generated great potential for trading and investment growth.

A large segment of the population has diversified their investment in financial markets including forex. Hence, there are a variety of local and offshore brokers in these countries offering their services.

There are many forex brokers in UAE, especially Dubai. Most of them are regulated by regulatory organizations and manage millions of dollars in trades each day. Therefore, traders are advised to be wise when choosing to open an account with any forex brokers residing in this area.

Well, here's the list of top forex brokers in Dubai:

  1. XM: Meeting all the criteria of the best forex brokers in Dubai
  2. HFM: Offers swap free feature in all of its account types
  3. Plus500: Offers fast and commission-free trades with very low spread rates
  4. Axi: Has excellent and multilingual live chat customer service
  5. Swissquote: A Swiss-based trading company that holds 3A licenses from the DFSA
  6. FP Markets: Offers special Islamic accounts for Muslim traders to avoid potential gambling and usury

The five brokers above are recommended because they have met or nearly met several criteria required to be considered the best forex brokers in Dubai. What are those criteria?

 

Things to Consider When Choosing a Broker in the Dubai

If you're looking for the best forex broker in Dubai, make sure your chosen broker meets the following criteria:

 

1. Regulated by DFSA

It's important for you to know that while Dubai is indeed part of the UAE, Dubai has its own regulatory body called the Dubai Financial Services Authority or DFSA.

The DFSA is responsible for overseeing and regulating financial services conducted within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), which is a major financial hub located in Dubai.

The DFSA functions autonomously and is separate from the central bank of the UAE and the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority. It has established its own set of regulations and guidelines customized to meet the unique requirements of the DIFC.

For forex brokers and other financial institutions desiring to conduct business within the DIFC, securing a license from the DFSA is a must. This licensing procedure includes a comprehensive assessment of the applicant's financial soundness, adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) prerequisites, and commitment to upholding market integrity regulations.

 

2. Sharia Law Compliant

Just like the Emirates, Dubai is also a country with a majority Muslim population. Therefore, brokers that adhere to Sharia principles would be the best choice for you. In other words, make sure the broker offers swap-free accounts for Muslim clients from Dubai.

With a swap-free account, there are no interest-based transactions involved. This means that traders do not incur or earn any interest on their open positions even for overnight trades. Swap-free accounts also prevent Muslim clients from doing riba, which is the act of earning or paying interest that is prohibited in Islamic principles. 

 

3. Local Deposit and Withdrawal

Another consideration in choosing the best forex broker in Dubai is to look at the availability of deposit and withdrawal options in local currency.

Just like all the countries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai uses the dirham as its local currency, commonly abbreviated as AED. While it's not mandatory, selecting a broker that offers AED options will make your transactions more efficient because you won't need to convert to other currencies or incur additional expenses due to conversion fees.

Also, It would be even better if you could also deposit and withdraw using the local banks.

 

4. Support Dubai's Local Language

Besides the availability of the dirham currency, it would be even better if your chosen forex broker also supports the local languages of Dubai on their website, customer service, and mobile apps.

The primary official language used in Dubai is Arabic. Additionally, due to Dubai's diverse population, several other languages are used, including English, Urdu, Hindi, Filipino, Malay, Farsi, and Bengali.

Accessing services in the local language would make it more convenient to transact and communicate with the broker, especially when you have trading issues.

 

5. Have Local Offices in Dubai

While not mandatory, a good Dubai broker should have a physical office or branch in the area. This is because not all client issues can be resolved through live chat or email. Sometimes, a face-to-face meeting is needed to clarify matters.

Additionally, having an office in Dubai adds to client trust because seeing the physical presence of the office ensures the broker's operations are legal.

 

6. Bonuses and Promotions for Dubai Clients

Another thing that can be an advantage when choosing the best forex broker is the availability of bonuses for local clients. If you are in Dubai, make sure your broker offers attractive bonuses and promotions for Dubai clients as well.

Indirectly, this will make clients feel pampered, appreciated, and well-treated. Forex brokers often offer bonuses such as deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, welcome bonuses, and so on.

 

Best Forex Brokers in Dubai

Based on the factors mentioned above, you can now identify the criteria that should be present in your chosen broker. Now, here is a list of the best forex brokers that meet or nearly meet all the above criteria for Dubai clients.

 

1. XM

  • Regulated by DFSA: Yes
  • Swap-free Account: Yes
  • Local Dubai Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Local Currency for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Arabic, English, French, Italian, German, Korean, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian, and more
  • Dubai-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Local Office: Yes
  • Bonuses for Dubai clients: Yes

XM is a globally experienced broker with many licenses, including DFSA license number F003484. This broker has been operating since 2009 and has consistently provided various robust trading facilities for its clients. In Dubai, XM has a local office located at Emirates Financial Towers, South Tower, DIFC, Unit 1302, Dubai

The minimum deposit required to start trading with XM is just $5. XM offers three main account types, as well as Islamic swap-free accounts: Micro, Standard, and XM Ultra Low. XM also offers a unique leverage ratio of 1:888.

For deposit and withdrawal payment options, there are several methods available, including wire transfers, debit cards, credit cards, and cryptocurrencies. Don't forget to check XM's website to see the various bonuses offered by XM for Dubai clients.

One of the currently available bonuses is a $50 trading bonus for new clients. There are also promotions like free VPS and the XM loyalty program.

 

2. HFM

  • Regulated by DFSA: Yes
  • Swap-free Account: Yes
  • Local Dubai Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Local Currency for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Arabic, English, Urdu, Indonesia, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, Deutsch, and more
  • Dubai-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Local Office: Yes
  • Bonuses for Dubai clients: Yes

Next, there's the broker HFM, also known as HF Markets, which holds DFSA regulation with the license number F004885. This broker's criteria are on par with XM.

Established one year after XM, HFM has a local office in Dubai located at Central Park Towers Level 20, Office 20-53, Dubai. In terms of its trading conditions, the minimum deposit required to start trading with HFM is $5.

The minimum position size is 0.01 lots with leverage of up to 1:1,000. HFM offers 4 types of accounts: cent, zero, pro, and premium, all of which are swap-free, making them suitable for Dubai clients who adhere to Sharia principles.

Additionally, HFM also offers bonuses available to clients in Dubai and from around the world, including a 100% bonus for the first deposit and a 20% bonus up to $5,000 for each deposit.

 

3. Plus500

  • Regulated by DFSA: Yes
  • Swap-free Account: Yes
  • Local Dubai Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Local Currency for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Arabic, English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Chinese, and more
  • Dubai-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Local Office: Yes
  • Bonuses for Dubai clients: Yes

Plus500 was founded in 2008 and headquartered in Israel. It has a platform that supports real-time analyses in multiple markets like forex, stocks, indices, and cryptocurrencies.

This broker is also recommended for you, Dubai clients, because they support local banks and the dirham currency for deposit and withdrawal, just like XM.

Its platform offers fast and commission-free trades with very low spread rates. More than that, this company supports traders with negative balance protection and offers swap-free accounts.

Plus500 is recommended for Dubai clients because it is regulated by the DFSA with registration number 6224. This broker has its headquarters at Unit Office GV04/L01/109, Level 1, Gate Village Building 04, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai.

Plus500 also offers bonuses for Dubai clients, but it depends on the regulation you choose at the beginning of registration. Under Plus500SEY, the broker can offer bonuses, for example, for the first deposit.

 

4. Axi

  • Regulated by DFSA: Yes
  • Swap-free Account: Yes
  • Local Dubai Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Local Currency for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Arabic, English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, and more
  • Dubai-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Local Office: Yes
  • Bonuses for Dubai clients: Yes

Another recommended broker for you is Axi. This broker has been operating since 2007 and holds a DFSA license with registration number 2758. Axi also has its headquarters at Unit OT 19-39, Level 19, Central Park Offices, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai.

Axi offers Islamic swap-free accounts with a minimum deposit of $0. Their website and customer service are available in various languages, including Arabic. In addition, Axi does support local banks for deposits and withdrawals in Dubai.

 

5. Swissquote

  • Regulated by DFSA: Yes
  • Swap-free Account: Yes
  • Local Dubai Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: No
  • Local Currency for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Arabic, English, French, Russian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), German, Italian, Spanish, Czech
  • Dubai-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Local Office: Yes
  • Bonuses for Dubai clients: Yes

Swissquote is a veteran forex broker that has been operating since 1996. This broker is a Swiss-based trading company operating under the name Swissquote Group Holdings Ltd.

In Dubai, Swissquote, also known as Swissquote MEA, is headquartered at the DIFC and has obtained 3A licenses from the DFSA. This broker also offers the option of swap-free accounts for Dubai clients.

However, Swissquote does not support local Dubai banks or local currency for deposits and withdrawals.

The minimum deposit required is also quite high, reaching $1000 for a standard account. Premium and prime accounts have even higher minimum deposits, at $10,000 and $50,000 respectively. This is something to consider if you plan to trade with a limited budget.

 

6. FP Markets

  • Regulated by DFSA: No
  • Swap-free Account: Yes
  • Local Dubai Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: No
  • Local Currency for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Arabic, English, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, German, Russian, Indonesian, Greek, Dutch, Korean, and more
  • Dubai-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Local office: No
  • Bonuses for Dubai clients: None

First Prudential (FP) Markets was founded in 2005 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia. It is considered safe because it is regulated by the top-tier Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and has a long track record.

This company offers transparent dealing across a wide ion of 10,000 plus assets with a variety of account types for forex and CFDs. Their clients are also able to trade with 0 pips spreads on their ECN trading. It has a MetaTrader 4 platform that you can leverage up to 1:500.

FP Markets offers an Islamic account designed for Muslim traders, adhering to four core principles: the avoidance of gambling, prohibition of Riba (interest), equitable risk and benefit sharing, and prompt transaction settlement.

 

Conclusion

The business opportunities in Dubai are undoubtedly substantial since Dubai is renowned as "The City of Gold". Therefore, make sure you only engage in forex trading with brokers who genuinely support your endeavors.

Some of the brokers mentioned above may be suitable choices for you if you intend to trade forex in Dubai because they already meet or nearly meet all the criteria for the best brokers in Dubai.

From the list of brokers mentioned above, it appears that XM and HFM are the most recommended broker for Dubai clients because it meets all the criteria required to be the best broker in Dubai. Additionally, Plus500 and Axi should also be considered because their trading conditions are on par with the top two.

 

Many people mistakenly believe that Dubai is one of the cities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE. Therefore, there are some significant differences between the criteria for brokers in Dubai and the best forex brokers in the UAE.