Page Summary
This guide helps users to find online brokers in UAE with the best platforms for futures. Futures trading and investing is a popular way among retail and institutional traders in UAE to hedge against price volatility in underlying commodities. With the rising number of brokers that offer trading with futures, it can be hard to choose the ideal option for individual financial goals and preferences.
Investors that skip researching, comparing, and grasping important information about brokers can select a trading platform with high commissions, slow execution, a low number of assets, and poor regulation.
This guide assesses 78 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 the best trading platforms in UAE for futures is shared below, followed by detailed reviews and comparisons.
Top 5 Futures Trading Platforms in UAE
- TradeStation – Best for futures overall
- Interactive Brokers – Lowest fees on futures
- Optimus Futures – Ideal trading platform for futures
- Saxo Bank – Top for professionals
- Charles Schwab – Best for Research & Education
Top 5 Trading Platforms for Futures Trading Reviewed
Online brokers with the highest rated futures trading platforms in UAE are reviewed below including their pros, cons and key takeaways.
1. TradeStation – Best Overall Futures Trading Broker in UAE
Min Deposit: $0 ($2000 – Margin account; $25000 – Day Trading account; $5000 – Futures account)
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 5.0
Total Fees:
TradeStation offers 24/7 access to over 350 futures option products, lightning-fast trade execution speeds (26ms), and up to 4:1 leveraged trading possibilities.
UAE traders can only trade on the FuturesPlus trading platform which allows them to trade international futures markets including the CME and ICE on multiple devices (web, desktop and mobile). The platform also allows traders to place conditional ‘’what if’’ orders based on volatility and other market conditions.
TradeStation FuturesPlus Key Features:
- Autofit vol curve – allows users to generate theoretical values and to apply their own vol curves using the built-in Vol Curve Manager. The platform also allows traders to place conditional ‘’what if’’ orders based on volatility and other market conditions.
- Tradestation’s Trade Monitor – allows traders to view all market activity for options and futures on a per-product basis.
- Send RFQs directly from Strategy Creation, Market Grid, Watchlist, RFQ Viewer, or Options Chain.
- TradeStation’s Watchlist – allows traders to monitor and customize their futures trading strategies by using first and second-order Greeks before sending RFQs.
- Access to Micro E-mini futures – allow users to purchase 1/10th the size of ‘’normal’’ futures ( fractional option contracts with leverage).
With 0.266 seconds per filled order, the TradeStation platform offers one of the fastest trade execution speeds and is a great choice for algo and high-frequency traders.
With no commission on future trades of up to $10,000/trade, TradeStation is among the cheapest brokers for trading with futures. Users get charged in the form of overnight fees ( $1,25) per trading day and certain option strategies may incur costs in the form of spreads, straddles, and collars.
TradeStation is a CFTC-licensed futures commission merchant (FCM) and member of CME, NFA, SIPC, FINRA futures exchanges. This allows them to offer index options and futures contracts to self-directed investors and traders.
| Minimum Deposit | $5,000 for futures accounts |
| Available Futures and Options | 350+ |
| Trading Fees | Commission-free, $1,50 per contract, per side when TradeStation Select member |
| Trading Platform | Web-based platform & mobile app (FuturesPlus) |
| Account Types | Demo, individual, joint, retirement, entity |
| Type of Broker | Broker dealer |
| Regulatory Bodies | SEC, CFTC, and FINRA |
| Deposit Methods | Wire transfer |
| Maximum Leverage Ratio | 4:1 |
Pros
- Overall best futures trading platform for UAE residents
- Dedicated futures and options trading platform available on all kinds of devices
- Vast range of research tools and fast order execution
Cons
- Not compatible with MetaTrader 4/5, cTrader, or any other external trading platform or software
- High minimum deposit required
- Some futures research and educational material isn’t free
2. Interactive Brokers – The Trading Platform With the Lowest Fees on Futures for UAE Traders
Min Deposit: $0
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.
With trading fees ranging from $0,25 to $0,85 per futures contract and access to over 35 global futures and futures options markets (agriculture, currency, energy, equity index, fixed income, metals, and high-volatility futures), Interactive Brokers is a great choice for traders looking for variety and low fees.
The broker offers two competitive pricing plans for US futures and futures options:
- Fixed rate pricing – charges a fixed low commission that includes regulatory and clearing fees of $0,85 per contract
- Volume-tiered pricing plan – trading fees decrease as you trade in large volume and range from $0,25 to $0,85 per contract
The Interactive Brokers trading platform allows users to trade on a variety of assets besides futures and futures options, including stocks and ETFs. Platform users also have access to great trading insights through daily futures arbitrage, interest tables, a US futures market scanner, and the Trader’s University.
To top if off, users are allowed to use a great variety of (third-party provided) order types and algos, including Good-til-Canceled (GTC), Market if Touched, One-Cancels-All (OCA), CSFB Blast, CSFB Sniper, and Fox Dark Attack.
Interactive Brokers is SEC, FCA and CFTC-regulated and is a member of the SIPC. Your IBKR account holding funds are protected by a compensation scheme in the case of insolvency, which makes this broker a safe choice to trade with.
| Minimum Deposit | None |
| Available Futures and Options | 35+ global futures and futures options markets |
| Trading Fees | $0,25 – $0,85 per futures contract, depending on pricing plan chosen |
| Trading Platform | Web-based platform & mobile app (Trader Workstation) |
| Account Types | Individual investor or trader, family office, small business, family advisor, non-professional advisor, registered investment advisor, hedge or mutual fund, money manager, proprietary trading group, introducing broker |
| Type of Broker | Broker dealer |
| Regulatory Bodies | SEC, CFTC, and FCA |
| Deposit Methods | Bank wire transfer, ACH transfer, check |
| Maximum Leverage Ratio | 2:1 |
Pros
- Trading platform with the lowest futures trading fees
- Broad range of tradable markets (35+)
- Many different order types, algos, and research tools for futures trading
Cons
- Charges fees for some futures research tools
- Trading platform might be overwhelming for beginners
- Customer service could be better
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.
3. Optimus Futures – Best Trading Platform for Futures Trading for UAE Traders
Optimus Futures is a CFTC-regulated online broker specializing in futures trading. Its trading platform (Optimus Flow) offers a great variety of futures trading tools for casual to advanced traders including dynamic charting tools, live data, market depth, volume analysis tools, TPO profile chart, Power Trades and commission rebates.
Users can also use multiple order types like Market, Market on Open, Market on Close, Market if Touched, Stop, Limit, Stop Limit, and One Cancels Other. This makes Optimus Futures an interesting choice for investors looking for a vast range of trading features and order types.
Its trading fees are among the lowest in the industry, ranging from $0,05 to $0,75 per side per contract. Optimus Futures charges withdrawal fees of $30.
Optimus Futures users can choose between 40 futures trading platforms available on multiple devices and also a cloud-based version. Account options are available as: individual, joint, and corporate.
| Minimum Deposit | $500 |
| Available Futures and Options | Depends on connected FCM |
| Trading Fees | Micro contracts: $0,05 to $0,25 per side, futures contracts: $0,10 to $0,75 per side |
| Trading Platform | 40+ different trading platforms with Optimus Flow as main trading platform |
| Account Types | Individual, joint, and corporate |
| Type of Broker | Introducing broker |
| Regulatory Bodies | NFA member and CFTC-regulated |
| Deposit Methods | Bank wire transfer |
| Maximum Leverage Ratio | Depends on connected FCM |
Pros
- Very competitive trading fees for futures
- Broker specializes in futures trading
- Offers multiple account types for different types of futures traders
Cons
- No mobile application for futures trading
- High withdrawal fee ($30)
- Only supports bank transfers as banking method
4. Saxo Bank – Best Futures Trading Platform for Professional UAE Traders
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 offers a professional futures trading platform where users can trade over 200 futures contracts and 70 options futures contracts from 28 global exchanges.
The broker has a very professional trading platform that consists of advanced futures tools like Depth Trader and offers the ability to trade directly from the charts.
Saxo Bank allows its users to make use of advanced futures trading tools and multi-legged trading strategies by placing multiple orders on the same order ticket.
UAE residents are not allowed to use Saxo Bank’s futures spread betting tools! Instead they can can place and manage orders based on the Level 2 order book (Depth Trader) which provides all bids and offers waiting to be executed in real-time.
| Futures Contract Denomination | Classic Account | Platinum Account | VIP Account |
| EUR | 6 EUR / contract Min. 10 EUR | 3 EUR / contract Min. 10 EUR | 1 EUR / contract Min. 10 EUR |
| GBP | 5 GBP / contract Min. 8 GBP | 2,5 GBP / contract Min. 8 GBP | 1 GBP / contract Min. 8 GBP |
| SGD | 15 SGD / contract Min. 20 SGD | 7.5 SGD / contract Min. 20 SGD | 2 SGD / contract Min. 20 SGD |
| USD | 6 USD / contract Min. 10 USD | 3 USD / contract Min. 10 USD | 1,25 USD / contract Min. 10 USD |
| HKD | 30 HKD / contract Min. 0 HKD | 25 HKD / contract Min. 30 HKD | 15 HKD / contract in. 30 HKD |
| Minimum Deposit | $5,000 |
| Available Futures and Options | 270+ from over 28 global futures markets |
| Trading Fees | Depends on account type |
| Trading Platform | SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO |
| Account Types | Saxo, Joint, Corporate, Professional |
| Type of Broker | ECN broker |
| Regulatory Bodies | FSA, FCA, Swiss Federal Banking Commission, CySEC, ASIC, DFSA, the Central Bank of the UAE & many others |
| Deposit Methods | Bank wire transfer, debit card deposit. Stock transfer from other broker |
| Maximum Leverage Ratio | 3,3:1 |
Pros
- Great choice of different futures trading instruments (28 markets)
- Advanced order types, market research and charting tools
- Very professional trading platform
Cons
- High minimum deposit required to open account
- The trading platform is not beginner-friendly
- High fees compared to other alternatives
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
5. Charles Schwab – Best Futures Trading Platform for Research & Education in UAE
Charles Schwab offers an extensive Research Center providing users with the latest research, news and market commentary on futures moves. They also host ”Looking to the Futures”, a daily analysis podcast that predicts futures market movements. On top of that users have access to industry-leading analysis reports (Hightower and Wyckoff reports) which makes it easy to understand why Charles Schwab is an interesting choice for research & education.
Charles Schwab allows traders to trade hundreds of futures with up to 10:1 leverage across 7 global markets. They also allow short selling, meaning users can hedge their positions by trading options on futures.
View the available futures markets at Charles Schwab in the table below.
| Futures Market | Available Futures |
| Financial Futures | E-Mini S&P 500, E-Mini Nasdaq, E-Mini Russell 2000, Mini Dow Jones, E-Mini Mid-Cap 400, Micro E-minis, Bloomberg Commodity Index, Nikkei 225, Volatility Index, U.S. Treasury Bonds, Eurodollars, Federal Funds, and Ultra Bonds |
| Currency Futures | EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, CAD, AUD, CME Bitcoin, USD, BRL KRW, NZD, MXN, ZAR, and SEK |
| Energy Futures | Crude oil, natural gas, heating oil, gasoline, ethanol, and Brent crude oil |
| Metal Futures | Gold, silver, copper, platinum, HRC Steel Index, palladium |
| Grain Futures | Corn, soybean, wheat, oats, rough rice, soybean oil, and soybean meal |
| Livestock Futures | Live cattle, feeder cattle, and lean hogs |
| Food & Fiber Futures | Coffee, sugar, cocoa, cotton, orange juice, lumber, milk, and cheese |
Charles Schwab charges a fixed fee of $2,25 per futures contract which doesn’t include NFA fees. This is higher than the other brokers mentioned in this best futures trading platforms in UAE guide. The minimum deposit required to open a futures trading account with Charles Schwab is also quite high, being $25,000.
| Minimum Deposit | $25,000 |
| Available Futures and Options | Hundreds of futures and options on futures across 7 markets |
| Trading Fees | $2,25 per contract |
| Trading Platform | StreetSmart Edge, All-in-One Trade Ticket, and Schwab Mobile Trading App |
| Account Types | Individual, Joint tenants with rights of survivorship, tenants in common, corporate |
| Type of Broker | Broker dealer |
| Regulatory Bodies | SEC, FINRA, and CFTC |
| Deposit Methods | Bank wire transfer, stock transfer from other broker, check |
| Maximum Leverage Ratio | 10:1 |
Pros
- Very good choice of different futures trading instruments (8 markets)
- Many useful research and educational tools for futures trading
- Up to 10:1 leverage on futures and options on futures offered
Cons
- High account minimum for non-US clients
- Relatively high trading fees
- All deposits, withdrawals, and trading in USD only
How To Find The Right Broker For Futures Trading?
The most important criteria for finding a broker with the ideal platform for trading with futures in UAE are listed below.
- Amount of futures trading instruments offered
- Futures trading fees and conditions
- Trading platform features that influence futures trading
- Mobile futures trading features
- Quality of the customer support
- Research and education offered (in regard to futures trading)
- Available banking methods
- UAE availability (whether UAE residents can open an account and make use of all offered futures trading services)
Top Brokers For Futures Trading Compared
Key features of online brokers with the highest ranked platforms for futures trading are compared in the table below.
| Broker | Available Futures | Minimum Investment | Trading Platforms | Available Risk Management Tools | Deposit & Withdrawal Methods | Customer Support Options | Regulators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TradeStation | 600+ futures and futures options | $500 for cash account, $2000 for margin account | TradeStation 10, TradeStation Web Trading, TradeStation Mobile | Bracket Orders, Trailing Stops, OSO and OCO orders | Wire Transfer, Check, ACH (Automated Clearing House) Transfer | Phone, Live Chat, Email | FINRA, NFA, SIPC |
| Interactive Brokers | 35 + futures and futures options markets | $0 for IBKR Lite, $10,000 for IBKR Pro | Trader Workstation, Client Portal, 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 |
| Optimus Futures | 20 micro futures and all major futures markets | $500 | Multiple including Sierra Chart, MultiCharts, Firetip, R Trader | Bracket Orders, Trailing Stops, Stop-Limit Orders | Wire Transfer, Check, ACH Transfer | Phone, Email, Live Chat | NFA |
| Saxo Bank | 300+ futures from 29 exchanges | $2,500 | SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO | Stop Orders, Trailing Stop Orders, Limit Orders, Market Orders | Bank Transfers, Debit Cards | Phone, Email | FCA, ASIC, SFC, JFSA, MAS, and others |
| Charles Schwab | 70+ futures contracts | $500 – 5,000 for futures trading | StreetSmart Edge, Web Platform, Schwab Mobile | Stop Orders, Trailing Stop Orders, Conditional Orders | Bank Transfers, Check, Wire | Phone, Live Chat, Email, Branches | FINRA, SEC |
What are Futures?
Futures are financial contracts where two parties (a buyer and a seller) agree to trade an underlying asset for a fixed price at a future date. The underlying asset can be a commodity (soybeans, wheat, or corn) or other type of tradable financial instruments like currencies, fixed-income, and energy products.
Both speculating traders and companies that want to take actual physical delivery of the underlying asset trade futures contracts. While traders mostly hedge or speculate with futures, companies lock in their purchase prices.
Tips to Get Started With Futures Trading
- Make Use Of Online Brokerage Services – The easiest way to get started with futures trading is by using an online broker. You simply open an account with a broker that offers futures, get it approved and you can get started.
- Be Honest With Your Trading Experience – Futures brokers will ask you to share your trading and investing experience, your current income, and your total net worth. Make sure to fill l in these questions honestly as the broker will personalize your trading experience based on your answers (allowed risk, required margin, and maximum position sizes).
- Keep an Eye On Trading fees – Make sure to check futures trading fees and they vary from broker to broker and even by trading volume.
- Start With a Paper Account – It is important to test your trading strategy on a demo account using virtual money. This helps you to familiarize with the trading platform before depositing your hard-earned money.
Conclusion
The various online brokers in UAE offering different platforms and tools, makes it tough to find the optimal choice for individual needs. Comparing the services of different providers requires time and knowledge.
This guide does the hard grind by evaluating top platforms for different types of traders and investment goals. The results of our analysis and comparison of the best futures trading platforms in UAE are wrapped up in the table below.
| RANK | BROKER | PLATFORM SCORE | BEST FOR | WEBSITE |
| #1 | TradeStation | 3.7 / 5 | Low commissions | Official website |
| #2 | Interactive Brokers | 4.9 / 5 | Professional investors | Official website |
| #3 | Optimus Futures | 4 / 5 | Competitive trading fees | Official website |
| #4 | Saxo Bank | 4.9 / 5 | Trading platform features | Official website |
| #5 | Charles Schwab | 4 / 5 | Balanced offering | Official website |
FAQ
How much money do I need for future trading?
Trading futures involves margin and leverage and therefore requires you to have at least $500 to $1,000 on your trading account.
Is futures trading recommended for beginners?
Trading with futures is not recommendable for beginners as it involves high risk, requires trading with leverage, and high volume positions.
How much margin is required for futures trading in UAE?
The most common required margin for futures trading in UAE is between 40% to 50%.
What is the most popular futures exchange in the UAE?
The most popular futures exchange in the UAE include TradeStation, Interactive Brokers, Optimus Futures, Saxo Bank , and Charles Schwab.
Are futures Halal?
Futures trading is considered Gharar (prohibited by Islamic law) based on their nature, involving uncertainty about future prices.
Which are the biggest futures exchanges in UAE?
The most important futures exchanges in UAE include the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX), the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and the Nasdaq Dubai.
Disclaimer
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Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76% 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.
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Braden Chase is an investor, trading specialist, and former research specialist for Forex.com who helps aspiring investors develop the confidence and habits they need to make an income from the market. Braden has served as a registered commodity futures representative for domestic and internationally-regulated brokerages and has also spoken & moderated numerous forex and finance industry panels across the globe.