5 Best United Arab Emirates (UAE) Forex Brokers List

By Stefano Treviso, Updated on: Aug 21 2023.

Here’s our selection of the 5 United Arab Emirates (UAE) Forex brokers for the year 2023:

Broker	Reason
Pepperstone	Best overall choice (low commissions and platform variety)
AvaTrade	Best for trading options on currencies
IG	Best in most currency pairs offered
XM	Best no commissions forex broker
Saxo Bank	Best in regulatory framework for high net worth traders

All the above brokers are required to possess a financial license from ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) or DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority). This grants United Arab Emirates forex traders a great layer of protection in the event of any dispute as complaints can be dealt with locally.

Each one of these brokers was analysed using our proprietary methodology.

1. Pepperstone - Best overall choice (low commissions and platform variety)

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74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Pepperstone is an Australian broker founded in 2010 with the aim of providing a professional trading experience with low fees and tight spreads. Currently Pepperstone counts with 7 financial licenses and operates in almost every country around the world.

Key data
Currency Pairs	60
EUR/USD Spread	Dynamic - From 0 to 0.77 Pips
Commissions	For Standard account : All fees included in the spread For Razor account: From $7 per Lot round turn
Minimum Deposit	$200
Financial Regulators	BaFin, FCA, ASIC, DFSA, CySec, SCB, CMA.
MT4	Yes
MT5	Yes
cTrader	Yes
TradingView	Yes
Proprietary Platform	No

Pepperstone’s regulatory framework consists of 7 financial licenses from which 4 belong to high tier financial regulators (being one of them DFSA).

The Good	The Bad
Well regulated on several jurisdictions Low latency, fast execution under 30ms Competitive spreads and low commissions from 0.0 pips on their Razor account	Avaliable asset offering is not that comprehensive No ability to purchase real stocks or cryptocurrencies, only CFDs

Pepperstone is one of the best brokers worldwide when it comes to currency trading. They provide a multi-platform environment (MetaTrader 4 & 5, cTrader and TradingView) along with RAW spreads accounts with very low commissions and execution under 30ms. For intermediate to experienced currency traders, Pepperstone is definitely a great choice.

2. AvaTrade - Best for trading options on currencies

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71% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

AvaTrade is a top-tier multinational broker with more than 7 financial regulators specialising in FX and options trading with their own proprietary platforms.

Key data
Currency Pairs	55
EUR/USD Spread	Dynamic - From 0.9 Pips
Commissions	None
Minimum Deposit	$100
Financial Regulators	ASIC, FFAJ, CBI, IIROC, CySec, FSCA, ADGM, ISA.
MT4	Yes
MT5	Yes
cTrader	No
TradingView	No
Proprietary Platform	Yes

AvaTrade holds 8 financial licenses from which 6 belong to high tier financial institutions (being one of them ADGM).

The Good	The Bad
AvaProtect feature for negative trades payback Great variety of platforms (proprietary ones, MT4 & MT5) Smooth platform experiences and easy account management Custom Options trading platform	Lack of variety in stocks, ETFs and bonds Expensive inactivity fees No multi-chart tools High trade minimums in all assets except forex

The biggest selling point of AvaTrade is their proprietary currency options trading platform. Experienced traders know the value in options as an instrument to speculate under a high risk-reward environment or as a hedge against adverse market conditions in diversified currency portfolios. If you’re very well experienced in currencies and options, AvaTrade is one of the best options for you.

3. IG - Best in most currency pairs offered

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79% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

IG is a global broker established in 1974 that holds 8 reputable financial licenses and provides CFD trading on stocks, commodities, ETFs, indices, cryptocurrencies, bonds, futures, options along with real stocks through their share dealing account.

Key data
Currency Pairs	80
EUR/USD Spread	Dynamic - From 0.6 Pips
Commissions	Yes, they charge depending on the client’s account base currency and exchange location of the shares being traded. For example, for some clients US shares can have a minimum charge of $10 in-and-out.
Minimum Deposit	From $10 to $450.
Financial Regulators	ASIC, FMA, NFA, ADGM, FINMA, MAS, FFAJ, FSCA, BMA.
MT4	Yes
MT5	No
cTrader	No
TradingView	No
Proprietary Platform	Yes

IG is amongst the world’s most popular and well regulated forex brokers. They hold 8 financial licenses from which 7 belong to reputable financial regulators (being one of them ADGM).

The Good	The Bad
Broad platform offering with high customisability and integrated news feeds Comprehensive asset offering with more than 10,000 + CFDs or real stocks and ETFs	There are too many small costs such as custody, in-and-out-commissions in some cases, management fees, etc Their standard contracts can be too large some times for low volume traders

IG boasts an asset offering of over 10,000+ instruments from which 210 are currency pairs. If you’re looking for variety in the forex department, they’ve got you covered.

A very important point to note about IG is that their standard contract sizes are usually large and this can be discouraging or confusing for beginner traders so if you’re new to trading, we recommend you to check other brokerage services providers.

4. XM - Best no commissions forex broker

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74.89% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

XM is an international broker headquartered in Cyprus which offers MetaTrader 4 & 5 and over 1500 + tradable assets.

Key data
Currency Pairs	57
EUR/USD Spread	Dynamic - From 1.7 Pips
Commissions	Yes on Zero accounts ($7 per lot round turn).
Minimum Deposit	$5
Financial Regulators	ASIC, CySec, ADGM.
MT4	Yes
MT5	Yes
cTrader	No
TradingView	No
Proprietary Platform	No

XM holds 3 financial licenses from which 2 belong to high value financial regulators (ASIC and ADGM). When compared to their competitors they’re definitely under regulated yet they have managed to acquire a solid reputation in the forex industry.

The Good	The Bad
Competitive commissions on their Zero account Modest asset offering of 1500+ tradable instruments (similar to competitors in the same range)	No proprietary platforms or technology Expensive spreads and trading fees Lack of asset variety when compared to other brokers in the same range

When it comes to XM’s offer, the best part is their different account types (micro, standard, ultra low and shares) which gives traders ideal conditions under a no commission environment and a predictable spread. In their Ultra Low account, the average spread on all major pairs is as low as 0.6 Pips and the minimum deposit is $5.

If you are an intermediate trader looking for a MetaTrader broker with no commissions, XM can be a great choice for you.

5. Saxo Bank - Best regulatory framework for high net worth traders

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69% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Saxo Bank is a Danish investment bank operating since 1992. It is one of the most regulated brokerages in the world with an exceptional selection of financial instruments.

Key data
Currency Pairs	182
EUR/USD Spread	Dynamic - From 0.4 to 0.8 Pips
Commissions	$0.02/share (min $10) for US Stocks, from 0.10% (min €10) for other equity markets, €4 per futures contract.
Minimum Deposit	From $500 up to $2,000
Financial Regulators	ASIC, HKMA, ADGM, FINMA, MAS, FFAJ, AFM.
MT4	No
MT5	No
cTrader	No
TradingView	Yes
Proprietary Platform	Yes

Saxo Bank holds 7 financial licenses from reputable financial regulators (being one of them ADGM). They are amongst the most prestigious choices for high net worth individuals due to their great asset variety and proprietary platforms.

The Good	The Bad
Exceptional selection of financial instruments at one place 2 highly-customizable proprietary trading platforms API integration for 3rd party services like Excel or TradingView	High minimum deposit for certain countries Withdrawals via bank transfer only High fees on options and futures

Saxo Bank is one of the most expensive choices out there (due to fees and minimum deposit requirements). We think of them as a great choice for traders of high net worth that need that financial peace of mind coming from having a global and highly regulated broker that gives them access to a great pool of financial instruments.