Page Summary
This guide helps users to find the best trading platforms in UAE for securities. The variety of online brokers that allow trading with securities make it hard for traders to choose the ideal service for their trading goals and needs.
Missing out on reviewing, comparing and gathering important information about brokers can cause selecting a platform with low number of securities, lack of regulation, poor customer support and high fees.
This guide assesses 79 platforms available in the UAE that offer securities. To help users make an informed decision and find the optimal online broker for their needs, the best trading platforms in UAE for securities are listed, reviewed and compared considering: range of securities, fees (trading and non trading), accessibility (web, desktop, mobile app), trading platforms & features, research & education, regulation, Islamic accounts availability, and customer support.
Top 5 Trading Platforms in UAE for Securities
- Interactive Brokers – Best Platform for Stocks and ETFs
- Saxo Bank – Ideal Trading Platform in UAE for Bonds
- eToro – Optimal for Beginner Traders
- Charles Schwab – Best Suited for Mutual Funds
- TradeStation – Best for Futures and Options
Best Trading Platforms in UAE for Securities Reviewed
The top trading platforms in UAE for securities are reviewed below, including pros and cons.
1. Interactive Brokers – Best Platform in UAE for Stocks and ETFs
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.
Interactive Brokers is an American brokerage firm, founded in 1978. It offers 1 million different securities including ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, options, and futures. Securities trading tools include watch lists, a dynamic chart drawing kit, custom indicators, and full trading history access. Traders can use over 100 different order types and built-in algorithms. The TWS platform is available on desktop, web, and mobile devices.
Interactive Brokers charges 0% commission on stocks and ETFs. They charge competitive fees across all other tradable assets.
Interactive Brokers margin rates are 50% lower than the industry standard. Users can earn up to 4,08% interest on their uninvested cash balances. Additionally, users can earn an extra income by lending out their shares.
Interactive Brokers customer support is available via e-mail, live chat, and by phone 24/7.
Interactive Brokers Key Features for Security Traders:
- Wide range of securities – access to 150 markets covering stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, options and futures.
- Excellent Securities Trading Platform – TWS has a variety of security trading features such as comprehensive search tools, calculators, and a fully customizable trading interface.
- IBKR GlobalTrader and IBKR Mobile – access through a mobile app
- Algorithmic Trading via APIs – Make use of Expert Advisors, Robo-Advisors, and other forms of automated trading software.
- Broker-Assisted Trades – IBKR’s professional brokers are available to assist you in placing orders and closing positions.
- Advanced Analytical and Market Research Tools – Discover favourable trading opportunities with IBKR’s Fundamentals Explorer, Mutual Fund/ETF Replicator, Risk Navigator, and Bond Scanner
Pros
- Best market coverage in the industry (100k+ assets on different instruments)
- Access to 16,500 shares and 8,000 stocks as CFDs
- Professional trading platform suitable for different types of traders
- Intuitive and easy to use mobile trading app
- Industry leading fee structure
- Compatible features for casual and professional traders
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Few deposit and withdrawal options
- Research and education materials missing
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.
2. Saxo Bank – Best Securities Trading Platform in for Bonds
Min Deposit: $5000
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 Danish investment bank, founded in 1992. Their trading platform offer access to a wide range of markets, including stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, futures and options. Saxo Bank charges low commissions of $3,99 per stock buy order. Mutual funds are offered commission-free.
Trading tools available on Saxo Bank’s proprietary trading platforms (SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO) are listed below:
- enhanced trading tickets
- fundamental and technical analysis tools
- news and expert research
- advanced option chains
- 40 technical indicators.
Platform users can deploy Expert Advisors, Robo-Advisors, and other forms of automated trading software through Saxo Banks APIs.
Research tools and educational material are available in the form of podcasts, articles, videos, and events and webinars. Additionally, users can receive one-on-one advice from the brokers’ team of experts.
Saxo Bank’s customer service is available by email, live chat, and phone in Arabic, English, and over 15 other languages.
Saxo Bank Key Features for Security Traders:
- Broad Range of Tradable Assets – Stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, futures and options.
- SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO – Saxo’s own proprietary trading platforms, available on both desktop PCs and mobile devices.
- Wide Range Of Third-Party Extensions – TradingView, MultiCharts, and Dynamic Trend.
- Broker-assisted Trading – assistance to manually placement of trades and management of positions.
- Automated Trading – support for automated trading with Expert Advisors and other automated trading software via APIs.
- Trading Room Access –
Pros
- Industry leading market coverage
- Excellent Trading Features with SaxoTraderGo
- Advanced order type and account protection features
- Intuitive and easy to use mobile trading app
- Great education and research materials
- Competitive fee structure for active traders
Cons
- $10,000 minimum deposit for UAE users
- High time investment to set up
- Only for advanced traders
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
3. eToro – Best Platform for Beginner Security Traders
Min Deposit: $100
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 4.8
Total Fees:
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
eToro is an international online broker, founded in 2007. eToro users can trade on 3,000 different securities, including stocks, ETFs, commodities, forex pairs, indices, and cryptocurrencies. Their trading platform has an intuitive design for beginners. It offers a wide range of beginner trading tools including simple buy/sell order types, copy trading features and risk management tools.
eToro charges average spreads of 0.9pips (EUR/USD). They don’t charge commissions on stocks and ETFs.
eToro has a broad range of educational materials for beginners including the eToro Academy video series. This is a great tool for beginners to learn trading with securities.
eToro’s customer service is available via email and live chat in English, Arabic, and over 15 other languages.
eToro Key Features for Security Traders:
- Broad Range of Securities – access to over 3,000 stocks, ETFs, forex pairs, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.
- Intuitive Trading Interface – beginner-friendly and easy to use trading interface
- Social Copy Trading Features – allow users to copy trades of experienced traders
- Access to Trade Ideas – useful trade ideas through high-quality blog posts and daily technical and fundamental analysis.
Pros
- Access to over 4000+ tradable symbols
- Great overall market coverage
- Easy to use mobile trading app and platforms
- Industry leading social/copy trading app
- Great cryptocurrency trading features
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Algorithmic trading not available
- Forex and CFD fees above industry average
- Education and research tools missing
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
4. Charles Schwab – Best Platform for Mutual Funds Securities
Charles Schwab is an American financial service company, founded in 1971. Their platform offers access to 50,000 different mutual fund securities. Those are available as no-transaction-fee (NTF) mutual funds (for users that want to build their own portfolio) and managed portfolio solutions. Charles Schwab also offers broker-assisted trading.
Charles Schwab StreetSmart Edge trading platform is fully customizable. It provides users with live streaming data, quotes, and news from the same window. Extensive research tools allow users a detailed overview of fundamental metrics, including company earnings, dividends, and ratings. Orders can be placed using the All-in-One Trade Ticket. The platform is available through desktop, web and mobile app.
Charles Schwab charges competitive fees of $0 to $74,95 and 0,69% on bonds and mutual funds. They don’t charge any commissions on stock and ETF.
Charles Schwab Key Features for Security Traders:
- Broad Range of Markets – access to stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, options, futures, money market funds, cryptocurrencies, and fixed-income products.
- Customisable SmartEdge Trading Platform – The SmartEdge trading platform is fully customisable to find, evaluate, and place trades quick and easy.
- Broker-Assisted Trading – Charles Schwab offers broker-assisted trading and managed mutual funds services 24/7 through live support from U.S.-based service professionals.
- Great Accessibility – through web, desktop and mobile app
- Availability of trading Ideas – through Schwab Wealth Advisory, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium.
- High regulation and security – Charles Schwab is regulated by 4 tier one financial regulators.
Pros
- Offers thousands of no-load, no-transaction-fee mutual funds
- Commissionless stock and ETF trading
- Excellent research tools and education
Cons
- Not aimed at beginners
- No cryptocurrency trading available
- Expensive managed accounts and financial advice
5. TradeStation – Best Platform for Futures and Options
Min Deposit: $0 ($2000 – Margin account; $25000 – Day Trading account; $5000 – Futures account)
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 5.0
Total Fees:
TradeStation is a USA based brokerage firm, founded in 1982. Their platform offers access to 2,000 futures and options securities. The trading dashboard is easy to use. It is accessible through desktop, web and mobile app.
Tradestation’s trading tools are listed below:
- Autofit Vol Curve
- Options Chain
- RFQ viewer
- Market Grid
Trade execution is fast (under 40ms) and reliable.
TradeStation charges competitive trading fees of $0,60 on options contracts. They charge low fees of $0,85 per contract per side on futures contracts. Stocks are offered commission free.
TradeStation’s research tools are listed below
- Trading ideas (accessible through market news and research center),
- Custom indicators
- Technical analysis tools
The TradeStation customer service is available via e-mail, live chat, and by phone
TradeStation Key Features for Security Traders:
- Wide Variety of Available Assets – TradeStation offers its users access to stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, futures, options, and cryptocurrencies.
- Two Trading Platforms Available – Traders can use two proprietary trading platforms, of which one is specialized for options and futures.
- Accessible From All Devices – TradeStation’s trading platforms are available on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Automated Trading via APIs – TradeStation allows users to deploy Expert Advisors and use robo-advisors, and other forms of automated trading software through its APIs.
- In-depth market Insight and Research Tools – Users have access to in-depth market insights and research tools such as hot lists, trader sentiments, and investor forums.
Pros
- Great choice of trading instruments offered
- Great mobile trading platform
- Very professional trading platform
Cons
- Research and education section could be better
Tips To Find The Ideal Trading Platforms in UAE for Securities
Criteria that need to be considered to select the optimal trading platform for securities are listed below.
- Available Securities and Asset Classes – tradable financial instruments, such as stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options, and futures.
- Trading Fees and Other Trading Conditions – the cost of trading securities, including spreads, commissions and non-trading fees like inactivity fees, transaction fees, and currency exchange fees.
- Trading Platform Features – features related to security trading, such as order execution tools, news feeds, scanning tools, fundamental research tools, and support.
- Mobile Trading Features – trading platform and general broker features available on mobile devices.
- Quality of Customer Support – available channels, times, and languages spoken, including email, phone, live chat in English and Arabic.
- In-depth Security Research And Education – market research, daily news updates, in-depth security market analysis, and high-quality trading signals must be offered.
- Available Deposit and Withdrawal Methods – the broker has to accept a wide range of payment methods to allow for easy deposits and withdrawals.
- UAE Availability – UAE residents must be able to sign up and open an account.
The 5 top Broker for Securities compared
Online brokers withe the highest rated trading platforms for securities in UAE are compared in the table below.
| Broker | Interactive Brokers | Saxo Bank | eToro | Charles Schwab | TradeStation |
| Shares | 83 markets | 50 markets | 3112 | 4 markets | 5 markets |
| ETFs | 13000 | 6700 | 317 | 2300 | 2300 |
| Bonds | 1M+ | 4800 | – | 60000 | 630 |
| Mutual Funds | 400 providers | 12500 | – | 600 providers | 55 providers |
| Options | 34 markets | 20 markets | – | 8 markets | 10 markets |
| Futures | 32 markets | 28 markets | – | 8 markets | 11 markets |
| Commission US Shares | From $0 | From $0.01 per share | From $0 | From $0 | From $0 |
| Commission Bonds | 0,10% | 0,05% | – | From $0 | 0,40% |
| Commission Futures | From $0.25 per contract | From $1.25 per contract | – | $2.25 per contract | $1.5 per contract |
| Commision Options | From $0.15 per contract | From $1.25 per contract | – | $0.65 per contract | $0.6 per contract |
| Experience | Intermediate to Professional | Intermediate to Professional | Beginner to Intermediate | Beginner to Professional | Beginner to Professional |
| Trading Style | Scalping, Day Trading, Swing Trading, Investing | Scalping, Day Trading, Swing Trading, Investing | Copy Trading, Day Trading, Swing Trading | Scalping, Day Trading, Swing Trading, Investing | Scalping, Day Trading, Swing Trading, Investing |
What Are Securities?
Securities are financial instruments that represent ownership in a company, a debt obligation, or in an income stream.
Securities are commonly used for hedging and speculation in financial markets.
What Types of Securities Are Available on The UAE Market?
Securities available on the UAE markets are listed below:
- Equity securities – are shares of publicly traded companies like Apple shares, Facebook shares, and Tesla shares. Owners receive a share of its profits in the form of dividends.
- Debt securities (bonds) – are financial instruments used by companies and governments to borrow money from investors. Bondholders receive loans including interest when the bond matures.
- Fixed income securities – are similar to debt securities, but pay out interest regularly.
- Mortgage-backed securities – are investments backed by mortgages. Investment banks pack multiple mortgages into mortgage-backed securities that are available to investors on the secondary market.
- Marketable securities – are short-term liquid securities companies use to generate interest on their cash reserves. These mature within a year allow companies to convert their securities into cash quickly.
What Is the Difference Between Stocks and Securities?
Stocks are a type of security that represent a share in the ownership of a company.
Securities is a broader term reflecting different types of investments available on the financial markets including bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, derivatives, and asset-backed securities.
How Are Securities Traded in UAE?
There are 3 ways to trade securities in the UAE market:
- Publicly listed securities in the UAE are traded on the Dubai Financial Markets (DFA), the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), and the NASDAQ Dubai.
- Through online brokers
- Over the counter (OTC), directly between investors, and by phone.
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. 51% 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
This communication is intended for information and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or investment recommendation. Past performance is not an indication of future results.
Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more
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 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.