Our Top Picks

The best Forex (Foreign Exchange) brokers in Dubai, according to our research, are:

  1. HFM
  2. XM
  3. Axi
  4. IG Markets
  5. HYCM
  6. AvaTrade
  7. Swissquote
  8. Pepperstone
  9. FBS

In order to select and choose these 9 forex brokers offering their services in Dubai, here’s what was taken into consideration:

  • If the DFSA or other regulations of the broker were in place for Dubai clients
  • If a registered office was available
  • If Arabic language was available on the broker’s website for Dubai clients
  • The minimum deposit of the broker for Dubai traders
  • If AED was available as a base currency for Dubai clients
  • If Islamic accounts were provided by the broker for Dubai traders
  • The spreads and leverage in place for Dubai clients
Table of Content

What are the best forex brokers in Dubai?

Below is our curated list and review of the best forex brokers for traders living in Dubai, with details and information about the country laws, the features, and the characteristics.

Warning

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

  • HFM is regulated in Dubai by the DFSA (n. F004885) with a registered office in Dubai.
  • HFM provides Arabic language on their website.
  • HF under the DFSA entity provides 3 account types which are, Premium, Premium Pro and VIP
  • The HFM minimum deposit for Dubai clients starts from 0 AED.
  • HF Dubai traders find AED as one of their base currencies.
  • HF Islamic accounts are available for Dubai traders.
  • Dubai clients find spreads from 0 pips on 45 currency pairs with a maximum leverage up to 30:1 (retail) and up to 400:1 (professional).
70.51% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • XM in Dubai is regulated by DFSA (n.F003484) with a registered office in Dubai.
  • XM provides Arabic support and language on its site.
  • The minimum deposit for XM Dubai traders starts from $5.
  • AED is not available as one of XM base currencies.
  • Dubai clients of XM will find top Swap Free accounts.
  • XM spreads for Dubai clients start from 0 pips on 50+ currency pairs with a maximum retail leverage of 30:1.
72,82% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • Axi is regulated by the DFSA (n. F000326) to operate in Dubai with a registered office in Dubai.
  • Arabic is one of the languages provided on Axi’s site.
  • Dubai traders aren’t required to make a minimum deposit to open an Axi account.
  • Axi Dubai clients cannot open an account with AED base currency. USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, PLN, and AUD are, among the others, are available.
  • Axi provides swapfree accounts for Dubai traders.
  • Dubai clients can find Axi spreads from 0 pips on 50+ currency pairs, with leverage up to 30:1 for retail clients and up to 400:1 for professional clients.
69.6% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • IG Markets is regulated by DFSA regulation (n.F001780) with a registered office in Dubai.
  • Arabic language can be chosen by Dubai clients on the IG’s website.
  • Dubai clients will find an IG minimum deposit of 20,000 AED or equivalent.
  • AED is not available as an IG base currency for Dubai clients.
  • Swapfree accounts can be opened with IG by Dubai traders.
  • Dubai IG Markets traders will be charged spreads from 0.6 pips on 80+ currency pairs with a maximum leverage up to 30:1 retail and up to 222:1 (pro).
69% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  • HYCM in Dubai is regulated by the DFSA (n. F000048) with a registered office in Dubai.
  • The Arabic language is available on the HYCM’s website.
  • The HYCM minimum deposit for Dubai clients starts from $300.
  • AED is provided as a base currency by HYCM.
  • HYCM spreads for Dubai traders start from 0.2 pips (floating) and from 1.5 (fixed) on 22 currency pairs with a max. leverage up to 30:1.
72% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • AvaTrade is regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Markets FRSA (No.190018) with a registered office in Abu Dhabi.
  • AvaTrade has won the ‘Best Retail Broker UAE’ award in 2021.
  • Dubai AvaTrade clients can choose Arabic among the languages available.
  • Dubai traders have to make an AvaTrade minimum deposit of $100.
  • AED is not one of the AvaTrade base currencies.
  • AvaTrade Islamic accounts are provided for Dubai clients.
  • AvaTrade for Dubai clients charges fixed spreads from 0.9 pips on 60+ forex currency pairs with a maximum leverage of 30:1.
76% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • Swissquote is DFSA regulated (n. F001438) to operate in Dubai.
  • Arabic language is an option on Swissquote’s website.
  • Swissquote Dubai clients require a minimum deposit starting from $1,000.
  • AED base currency is available for Dubai traders.
  • Swapree accounts are offered for Dubai clients of Swissquote.
  • Swissquote spreads start from 1.1 pips for Dubai clients on 80+ currency pairs with a maximum retail leverage of 30:1.
79% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • Dubai clients can trade with Pepperstone under the DFSA regulation (n. F004356).
  • The broker also has a registered office in Dubai.
  • The Arabic language can be chosen on Pepperstone’s website.
  • Dubai clients won’t have to make a Pepperstone minimum deposit.
  • AED is not available as a base currency for Dubai traders, but you can find EUR, USD, JPY, GBP, SGD, and more.
  • Islamic accounts are available for Pepperstone DFSA clients.
  • Dubai clients will find spreads starting from 0 pips on 60+ currency pairs with a leverage up to 30:1 (retail) and 500:1 (professional).
74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs
  • Dubai traders can trade under the IFSC entity of FBS (n. 60/230/TS/18).
  • The Arabic language is provided by FBS on its site.
  • FBS Islamic accounts are available for Dubai clients.
  • FBS Dubai clients find a minimum deposit starting from $1.
  • AED local deposits are generally accepted by FBS.
  • FBS Islamic accounts are provided for Dubai clients.
  • The FBS spreads charged to Dubai clients start from 0 pips on 35 forex pairs with leverage up to 3,000:1, all depending on your account type.
74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money

Is Forex Trading legal in Dubai?

The Dubai finance industry has been a cornerstone of its development. Financial activities including forex market trading are regulated by the DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority) which is very well-respected globally in terms of forex regulation.

Brokers may also ask the alternative authority in the area, the Central Bank of Dubai to allow them to offer other financial services in the region.

How to trade forex in Dubai

Dubai-based and regulated forex brokers do accept traders from all around the world. With that said, it is recommended that you register under the regulation of the country that you live in.

There are no specific special rules you must follow as a Dubai forex trader though you will still have to follow the general regulations of the broker you choose.

This will mean having your proof of ID in the form of passport or drivers license ready alongside some proof of residence before continuing to fund your trading account.

What should Dubai traders look for in a forex broker?

As a Dubai-based trader, the only trading regulations that you need to keep a close eye out for is leverage in the UAE (including Dubai) which is typically restricted to a maximum leverage of 50:1.

This number can be increased if you hold a professional account though holding this account type will have other requirements. The extension can be up to 400:1 maximum leverage.

The second limitation is in the case of spread betting. This is considered betting and so, it is both Haram under Islamic trading rule, and likely illegal within the country as a whole.

To ensure you choose the best broker possible, here are three tips to help you in your search and selection:

1. Look for regulated forex brokers

Regulation is always key in choosing a top forex broker in the forex trading sector worldwide. Since you are based in Dubai, it makes a lot of sense and will give you the best protection to find a broker that is regulated by the DFSA as they are one of the most respected bodies in the region.

If you are going for regulation outside of Dubai then your best bet will most likely be CySEC, FCA, and ASIC as top regulators. Any ESMA-regulated broker is also a great and secure choice.

2. Choose the best swap-free account

Naturally, trading from Dubai, you will want to follow local laws and also trade in the most compliant way possible if you are an Islamic trader. This means following Sharia law and opening an Islamic account in most cases.

Thinking of that then, you should choose the best, Islamic trading or swap-free account available and try to be mindful of the fees that a broker may impose in the place of a swap fee.

If you want to know more about Islamic accounts, which assets are halal, which ones are not, and more information about Islamic trading, check our Swap-free broker guide.

3. Look for brokers that make your trading life easier

AED is a currency that is not often featured among top forex brokers as a base currency. This means you will often have to pay a conversion fee on your deposits.

With that in mind then, if you can, you should choose a top broker that does allow for AED deposits or at leastkeeps these fees to a minimum.

How to verify if a forex broker is regulated in Dubai

That can be simply done by checking out the DFSA official website and looking for the public register.

First, you will need to find the business name of your broker. Typically this can be noted from the bottom of your selected forex brokers homepage. Once you have found this, simply type it into the search bar and you should generate a result if the broker is regulated by the DFSA in Dubai.

Is forex trading taxable in Dubai?

Within the UAE, it is important to note that each Emirate acts autonomously when it comes to tax. With that said, Dubai is one of the few global tax-free locations and so, they do not apply a Capital Gains Tax.

In theory, this means your forex trading gains should be tax-free although you should always be careful to double-check with a professional tax advisor since the UAE takes a very strict stance on tax evasion.

We strongly suggest you contacting Dubai or UAE authorities if you don’t know how to manage this aspect

 

DISCLOSURE

InvestinGoal.com may receive a monetary compensations from the brokerage companies listed above.