Page Summary
This guide helps users to find online brokers in UAE with the best CFD trading platforms. Trading with CFDs has gained popularity among UAE investors as it allows them to speculate on the future price development of various underlying assets without actually owning them.
Due to the increasing number of reliable and scam brokers offering access to trading with CFDs, choosing the ideal option for individual trading needs can be challenging.
This guide assesses 45 online brokers in UAE for users to review and find the ideal platform for their needs. To help them make an informed decision, a list of brokers with the best CFD trading platforms in UAE is shared below, followed by detailed reviews and comparisons.
5 Best CFD Trading Platforms in UAE
- AVAtrade – Best CFD Broker in UAE Overall
- eToro – Ideal CFD Platform for Beginners
- Interactive Brokers – Optimal CFD Broker for Day Traders
- Saxo Bank – Best CFD Broker for Professional Traders
- Capital.com – Best Low Fees CFD Broker in UAE
Top CFD Brokers in UAE Reviewed
5 online brokers in UAE with the top rated trading platforms are reviewed below, including pros, cons and key features.
1. AVAtrade – Best CFD Platform and App in UAE Overall
Min Deposit: $100
Fees: 4.9
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees: 0.9 pip
AVAtrade is a FSMA-regulated forex and CFD broker that allows retail traders to trade over 1,250 CFDs on forex, stocks, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies with up to 30:1 leverage.
AvaTrade users have access to a variety of proprietary trading platforms (Web Trader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, and AvaSocial) and external platform add-ons including MetaTrader 4, 5, ZuluTrade, and DupliTrade. This makes the platform an interesting choice for traders looking to use different trading styles: automated (social/copy) trading, algorithmic trading, scalping and short selling.
With floating spread-based trading fees on CFDs averaging at 0,22 pips, AVAtrade’s fees are low compared to other regulated CFD brokers.
AvaTrade also offers extensive range of research tools and educational material like tutorial videos, trading guides, technical analysis indicators and an economic calendar. Those are great to have when you are new to CFD trading.
Account opening at AvaTrade starts at $100. Beginners can practice CFD trading strategies with a free paper trading account pre-loaded with $100,000.
Pros
- Compatible with MT 4 and 5
- Social Trading services for forex, crypto, and CFDs
- Fast order execution (<100ms)
Cons
- No real stocks or cryptos available
- High inactivity fees ($50 quarterly after 3 months on inactivity)
- Deposited AED gets converted to USD
Key features
- Provides access to over 1,250 CFDs and 44 forex pairs
- Offers social trading services
- Allows users to trade options via AvaOptions
- Excellent mobile trading app
- Charges competitive trading fees
- Compatible with MetaTrader 4, 5, and other external trading platforms
71% of retail CFD accounts lose money
2. eToro – Best for Beginners (Winner For Social/Copy Trading)
Min Deposit: $200
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 4.8
Total Fees:
77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. eToro AUS Capital Limited AFSL 491139. eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. OTC Derivatives are speculative and leveraged. Not suitable for all investors. See PDS and TMD. Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
With simple buy/sell options, an intuitively designed trading app and social/copy trading features, eToro is an interesting choice for beginner CFD traders.
Trading-wise eToro offers a user friendly proprietary platforms (Web Trader) and social/copy trading extensions through CopyTrader – this allows users to copy CFD trades of professional traders automatically from their own accounts. To make it even easier for beginners, eToro offers Smartporfolios, which are pre-made thematic portfolios that beginners can copy/paste without any previous research needed.
eToro users get access to over 5,000 CFD instruments including:
- 2,800 CFDs on stocks
- 250 Indices & Funds CFDs
- 54 Commodity CFDs
- 32 Crypto CFDs
Although eToro offers commission-free trading on some CFDs, their overall spreads are wider compared to other brokers (see the table below). eToro also charges inactivity and withdrawal fees of $10 per month and $5 per transaction, which makes them finish average in the fee category.
| Asset Type | Trading Fees |
| FX CFDs | 1,00 pip |
| Commodity CFDs | 2,00+ pips |
| Index CFDs | 0,75 pips |
| Stock & ETF CFDs | 0,15% |
| Cryptocurrency CFDs | 1,00% |
eToro has great customer support, available 24/7 in both Arabic and English via email, live chat, and by phone.
Pros
- Social trading for CFDs, crypto, and other assets
- Beginner-friendly CFD trading platform
- The possibility to trade with or without leverage
Cons
- Trading platform lacks advanced features (such as conditional order types, external trading software integration, and APIs)
- Relatively high spreads compared to other brokers
- The high leverage offered can backfire
Key features
- Beginner-friendly social trading platform
- Wide range of available banking methods
- Crypto, stocks, and forex all-in-one platform
- Fast registration and KYC on-boarding process
- Commission-free stock trading
- Free $100k demo account
- Islamic swap-free accounts available
77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. eToro AUS Capital Limited AFSL 491139. eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. OTC Derivatives are speculative and leveraged. Not suitable for all investors. See PDS and TMD. Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
3. Interactive Brokers – Best for Day Traders
Min Deposit: 0 ($2000 for margin account)
Fees: 4.9
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees:
All trading involves risk. More than 80% of investors lose in spread bet and CFD trading. As these complex instruments allow for the use of leverage, there is a high risk of losing more money than you have deposited. Before attempting to participate in spread bets and CFDs, consider how well you understand them and if you can afford to lose your money.
Interactive Brokers offers is among the biggest online brokers in the industry and offers access to a staggering range of over 8,000 different CFDs on shares, indices, metals and forex. Users also have access to a great variety of trading tools including level 2 quotes, trade hotkeys, direct market routing and price alerts, which make this broker an interesting choice for day traders.
Interactive Brokers charges competitive trading fees on CFDs starting at 0,05%. Overnight financing is priced at +/- 1,5% with spread discounts up to 75% for active traders. These fees are great for day traders as most other brokers charge fees on a spread, or per-order basis.
The maximum leverage offered by Interactive Brokers is 5:1 as margin requirements are only 20% and all orders are executed within 40 ms by the use of IB’s SmartRouting technology.
Interactive Brokers also offers great educational content in the form of short videos, webinars, podcasts, and blog posts.
Professional traders have access to over 100 different order types and up to 3,33% APY on idle cash balances. On the other hand beginners are able to trade CFDs the same way as stocks, because of IBKR matching all CFD orders with hedge-orders making sure that these are filled instantly.
Pros
- Wide range of available CFDs and other assets
- Competitive trading fees and low margin requirements
- Professional trading tools such as indicators, advanced order types, and dynamic charting
Cons
- Not compatible with MetaTrader 4, 5 or cTrader
- Platform might be overwhelming for beginners
- No Islamic swap-free accounts available
Key features
- Over 8,000 available CFDs across 135+ global markets
- 20% margin requirements allowing CFD trading with up to 5:1 leverage
- Over 100 available order types
- Advanced tools and features such as technical indicators, APIs, and dynamic charting
- Lowest CFD trading fees across all regulated brokers
All trading involves risk. More than 80% of investors lose in spread bet and CFD trading. As these complex instruments allow for the use of leverage, there is a high risk of losing more money than you have deposited. Before attempting to participate in spread bets and CFDs, consider how well you understand them and if you can afford to lose your money.
4. Saxo Bank – Best for Professionals
Min Deposit: $2000
Fees: 4.7
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees:
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Saxo Bank is a CFD broker regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE that provides users access to over 9,000 different CFDs on stocks, indices, commodities, forex, and cryptocurrency ETPs.
- 7,800+ CFDs on single stocks
- 1,100+ CFDs on global ETFs
- 20 CFDs on indices such as Germany 40, US 500, and UK 100
- 7 CFDs on FX pairs, including EUR/USD, EUR/GBP, GBP/USD, and AUD/USD
- 8 CFDs on government bonds, including German 10-year bunds and French 10-year OATs
- 20 CFDs on agriculture, metals, soft, and emission commodities
- 10+ CFDs on index options such as the SPX, DJX, ESX, and OESX
Their proprietary platform (SaxoTraderGO) features 50+ technical indicators, integrated trade signals, news feeds, and innovative risk management features such as advanced order types and price signal services. Those are great tools to have as a professional trader, but can be a bit overwhelming for beginners to start with.
The platform additionally offers access to a vast library of educational resources, including live events, webinars, tutorial videos, podcasts, and SaxoStrats.
With trading fees ranging from $0,70 to $3,00 /order, Saxo Bank trading fees on CFDs are competitive compared to other brokers. For active and high volume traders Saxo Bank even offers the lowest fees in the industry.
With only 5% margin requirements on CFDs, users can trade with up to 20:1 leverage on Saxo Bank. However, the broker’s minimum deposit requirement of $2,000 is quite steep compared to other brokers.
Saxo Bank offers an Islamic swap-free account for Muslim traders that want to trade according to Sharia Law.
Pros
- Huge range of available CFDs (9,000+)
- Professional trading platform including advanced features like indicators and drawing tools
- Competitive trading fees
Cons
- High minimum deposit requirement to open account
- Trading platform might be overwhelming for beginners
- Mobile trading platform has room for improvement
Key features
- Over 9,000 available CFDs and 40,000+ financial instruments in total
- Advanced order types such as Limit IOC orders, Resting Stop Orders, and Sleep Orders
- Fast order execution speeds (<30 ms) and over 98% fill rate
- $10,000 minimum deposit required to open account
- Broad range of educational resources and research tools
- Easy to use, fully customizable trading platform
- TradingView-powered charts
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
5. Capital.com – Best CFD Broker For Forex CFDs
Min Deposit: $20
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 4.7
Total Fees:
Capital.com is an online CFD broker regulated by the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC. They allow users to trade on over 6,400 CFD instruments with low fees and with up to 30:1 leverage. Trading-wise they offers 3 different mobile apps (Trading app, Investmate app and MT4), a proprietary desktop platform and Tradingview integration. This provides everything users need to successfully trade the CFD markets including real-time price quotes, dynamic charts, order book information, and basic risk management tools such as stop losses and take profits.
All of the platforms offers access to a variety of assets, which are mostly available as CFDs:
- 1,000 real stocks and 3600 stocks as CFDs
- 138 forex CFDs
- 29 crypto CFDs
- 33 commodity CFDs
- 130 Indices as CFDs
With trading fees build into the spreads that average at 1,1 pips during peak trading hours, Capital.com fees are average compared with other CFD brokers.
The broker also provides its users with a broad range of educational material in the form of online courses, trading guides, podcasts and webinars, which is great for beginners and casual traders who want to step-up their game.
Users can open a live trading account for as low as $20, or practice with a freely available $10,000 demo account first to familiarize themselves with the trading platform.
Pros
- MetaTrader 4 compatible and TradingView charts
- Excellent research and educational tools for CFD trading
- Broad range of tradable assets (6,400+)
Cons
- Fees on Index CFDs higher than at other brokers
- Doesn’t offer real stock or crypto trading
- No Islamic swap-free accounts available
Key features
- Great variety of Platforms and apps
- Patented AI Trade Bias System
- Negative Balance Protection
- Commission-free Trading
79.17% of retail CFD accounts lose money
How To Find The The Right CFD Broker and Platform in UAE?
The most important criteria for finding an online broker with the best CFD trading platform in UAE are listed below.
- Number of CFD instruments (markets, number of CFDs on different asset classes)
- Fees (spreads and commissions)
- Accessibility (web, desktop, mobile app)
- CFD Trading tools & platforms (technical, fundamental, risk management tools)
- Research & education (number and depth of coverage)
- Regulation (number of international financial regulators)
- Islamic accounts availability (Swap-free accounts)
- Customer support (accessibility and response time)
TOP Brokers for CFD Trading Compared
Key features of the top CFD brokers and platforms are compared in the table below.
| Broker | Assets as CFDs | Number of CFDs | Maximum Leverage | Available Trading Platforms | Available Risk Management Tools | Deposit & Withdrawal Methods | Customer Support Options | Regulators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVAtrade | Forex, Commodities, Indices, Stocks, Bonds, Cryptocurrencies | 1,250 | 400:1 | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, AvaTradeGo, AvaOptions | Stop Loss, Take Profit, Entry Limit, Entry Stop orders | Credit/Debit Cards, Bank Wire Transfers, E-Wallets (PayPal, Skrill, etc.) | Live Chat, Phone, Email | Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC, JFSA, BVI, FSCA, ADGM, FRSA |
| eToro | Stocks,Indices, Commodities, Forex, Crypto | 3,136 | 20:1 | eToro Platform, eToro Mobile Apps | Stop Loss, Take Profit, Trailing Stop Loss | Credit/Debit Cards, Bank Wire Transfers, E-Wallets (PayPal, Skrill, etc.) | Ticket System, Live Chat | CySEC, FCA, ASIC |
| Interactive Brokers | Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Bonds, Funds, ETFs, Metals, Indices, Cryptocurrencies | 8,050 | 20:1 | Trader Workstation, IBKR Mobile, IBKR WebTrader | Stop Orders, Trailing Stop Orders, Profit Take Orders, Bracket Orders | Bank Transfers, Check, Online Bill Pay, Direct Rollover, Trustee-to-Trustee | Live Chat, Phone, Email | SEC, FINRA, NYSE, FCA and other regional authorities |
| Saxo Bank | Stocks, Forex, Futures, Bonds, Options, Cryptocurrencies, Commodities | 19,100 | 20:1 | SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO | Stop Orders, Trailing Stop Orders, Limit Orders, Market Orders | Bank Transfers, Debit Cards | Phone, Email | FCA, ASIC, SFC, JFSA, MAS, and others |
| Capital.com | Stocks, Indices, Forex, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies | 3,970 | 500:1 | Capital.com Platform, MetaTrader 4 | Stop Loss, Take Profit, Negative Balance Protection | Credit/Debit Cards, Bank Wire Transfers, E-Wallets (PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.) | Live Chat, Phone, Email | CySEC, FCA, NBRB |
What Is CFD Trading?
CFD trading allows speculation on financial products (forex, commodities, indices, shares) without owning the underlying assets. CFD traders speculate on the price movement of an assets where they gain or lose the difference between the original and the closing price.
Advantages and Disadvantages of CFD Trading
Pros:
- Exposure to different assets that trade with leverage
- Short positions are simple to open
- High profitability
Pros:
- Exposure to different assets that trade with leverage
- Short positions are simple to open
- High profitability
How Is CFD Trading Regulated in the UAE?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah). Forex trading regulation in UAE has two regions: the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the rest of the UAE.
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is an economic free zone in Dubai, founded in 2002. It is regulated by the Dubai Financial Service Authority (DFSA). The DFSA oversees all financial activities in the area, including CFD trading. It enforces compliance with market regulations and ensures that true Islamic swap-free accounts obeying Sharia laws are available.
Regulatory requirements for CFD brokers imposed by DFSA are listed below.
- Limited leverage – Retail traders can only trade with up to 30:1 leverage and professional traders with up to 500:1 leverage.
- Margin close-out – If an account falls below 50% of the required margin, the broker closes out all positions.
- Negative balance protection – Traders cannot lose more money than they deposit.
- Marketing restrictions – Brokers must disclose what percentage of their clients lose money and cannot promote CFDs as a get-rich-quick scheme.
The rest of the UAE is regulated by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA). The SCA is a federal government agency established in 2000. It is issues licences to CFD brokers in UAE that meet their regulatory requirements including minimum capitalisation, risk management, client fund segregation, reporting and disclosure.
Quick Video Recap
Conclusion
With the various online brokers in UAE offering different platforms and features, it can be hard to find the ideal choice for individual needs. Comparing and evaluating the services of different providers requires time and knowledge.
This guide does the hard work by evaluating top providers for different types of traders and investment goals. The results of our analysis and comparison of the best CFD trading platforms in UAE are wrapped up in the table below.
| RANK | BROKER | BEST FOR | PLATFORM SCORE |
| #1 | AVAtrade | Overall | 4.9 / 5 |
| #2 | eToro | Beginners | 4.9 / 5 |
| #3 | Interactive Broker | Institutional & Day Traders | 4.8 / 5 |
| #4 | Saxo Bank | Professional Traders | 4.8 / 5 |
| #5 | Capital.com | Research & Education | 4.6 / 5 |
CFDs can be traded on various underlying assets (stock, cryptos, forex) using different trading strategies (long, short). Price volatility can cause profits and losses to move heavily, especially when trading with leverage. It is important to use appropriate risk management tools.
Our guide is designed to helps users to find a safe broker with a transparent and competitive trading environment. Avoiding unreliable brokers increase overall chances for profit.
FAQ
Is it legal to trade CFDs in UAE?
Yes, CFD trading in UAE is legal if you trade with a DFSA-regulated broker which enforces: limited leverage, margin close-out, negative balance protection, and marketing restriction rules.
Is CFD trading in UAE Halal?
Brokers operating in the UAE offer Islamic swap-free accounts compliant with Sharia law. Compliant brokers can’t charge interest (riba) on overnight positions and you can’t trade companies that produce alcohol, tobacco or other goods labeled as Haram.
How do CFD brokers make money?
CFD brokers make money with the commissions and fees they charge clients, and through order flow.
What Is CFD Short Selling?
CFD short selling is opening a CFD position that will make the trader profit whenever the underlying asset decreases in the price.
Do You Need To Pay Tax on CFD Profits in UAE
UAE citizens don’t pay a personal income tax on capital gains made with CFDs
Disclaimer
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.
Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.
Copy trading is a portfolio management service, provided by eToro (Europe) Ltd., which is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
Cryptoasset investing is unregulated in some EU countries and the UK. No consumer protection. Your capital is at risk.
eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.
Stefan Grasic (Dipl.-Jur) is the owner of Business24-7 and has considerable experience in the financial and investment niche, but also enjoys writing articles for the general readership. Stefan is an active stock, CFD, crypto and general investment researcher, advising blockchain companies such as Blockbird, GoCrypto, Hive Terminal at their start up level. Stefan began trading in 2010 as a college student. Money was tight,…