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Compare Forex Brokers

How We Research UAE Brokers

CompareForexBrokers.ae measures broker spreads, execution and funding on live funded accounts, and checks every licence against the CMA, DFSA and FSRA public registers, dating every figure.

Justin Grossbard, Co-Founder of CompareForexBrokers Written by Justin Grossbard (RG146) Fact-checked by David Levy Last updated:
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What we cover

The site covers 35 brokers, each holding at least one live UAE licence from the CMA (formerly SCA) for onshore UAE, the DFSA in the DIFC, or the FSRA in the ADGM. Some groups hold licences from more than one UAE regulator at once, and the site records the regulator for each licence rather than treating the UAE as one regime.

Financial free zones inside the UAE, the DIFC and the ADGM each have their own regulator and rulebook. Onshore UAE is licensed by the CMA. A Dubai office is not a DIFC licence, and a DIFC licence does not by itself describe the CMA regime. The site treats these as separate regulatory positions because your broker’s permissions, conduct rules and register entry depend on which regulator issued the licence.

If a broker lacks a UAE licence, you will not find it here. Treating an offshore or group entity as a substitute would mislead you. Where a covered broker’s client money sits with a group entity outside the UAE, that fact is recorded on its licence card. Each licence is recorded separately, and permissions are never merged across the CMA, the DFSA and the FSRA.

What a licence does not tell you

A UAE licence is not a single permission. The public register extract shows what a broker may do under that licence, and the permissions differ materially across the covered brokers. You will see that variation in the register evidence we publish.

The custody question is the most important thing the licence evidence answers. A dealing permission with custody lets the UAE entity hold client money. A dealing permission without custody means the money may sit elsewhere while the dealing is regulated locally. An arranging permission describes a restricted role: the UAE entity introduces clients, and client money is held by a group entity outside the UAE. Where no custody permission appears in the register extract, the site records that absence rather than assuming it. Dealing and custody permissions are reported separately, and one is never treated as evidence of the other. Which tier each broker holds is stated on its own licence card with the register check date.

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How we produce the figures

Measured figures come first. Between 5 and 28 August 2026 the team recorded spreads, execution and funding on live funded accounts across the covered brokers, with IceFX SpreadMonitor, from a DX Equinix VPS in Dubai with an LD4 London cross-check. Spread figures are the modal quote per pair over rolling 24-hour windows, execution figures describe broker-side order handling with network latency stripped, and every measured figure names the account tier, window and tester behind it. The cost tables, calculators and review cost sections price from this dataset, and the methodology page sets out the full protocol.

Broker-published figures still have their place, and the rule for them is unchanged. Each captured figure comes from the broker’s own UAE-facing pages, never from aggregators, and carries its capture date. A figure that appears only on a broker’s international or group site is rejected, because it cannot be attributed to the UAE entity. Where the UAE entity publishes nothing, the site records not published rather than guessing. Licence data is checked against the three public registers, walked from 17 to 19 August 2026 for the current comparison period.

Editorial independence

Some brokers pay a commission on click-throughs. Any such commercial relationship is disclosed at the point of the link, so you know before you click. David Levy fact-checks every page. A commission does not change a measured figure, a licence position or the register evidence. The broker’s regulatory standing and recorded data remain exactly as measured and captured.

Reviews score out of 100 on eight weighted criteria, led by trading costs at 25%, with cost and regulation inputs coming from the August 2026 capture and the UAE registers. Listing pages order brokers on a published Fit score built from category evidence and review standing, and a broker with no review score shows Not scored and sorts last. Where a rating is an editorial placement rather than a rubric output, the review page says so beside the rating. You can always see which kind of number you are reading.

Our status

CompareForexBrokers.ae is a comparison publisher. It holds no UAE licence and is not regulated by the CMA, the DFSA or the FSRA. It does not hold client money, does not execute trades and does not provide personal financial advice. You should know that it is not a broker.

The site’s role is limited to publishing measured data, broker information, register evidence and educational content. Nothing on this site is a recommendation to trade with any broker or to buy any product. You should check the relevant regulator’s register and the broker’s own UAE-facing documents before dealing with a broker. The site does not act as an intermediary and does not hold itself out as a UAE-regulated financial service. It publishes what our accounts measured, what the broker’s own pages state and what the public registers show.

Get in touch

The contact form on the contact page is the only channel for reaching the team. Use that form for all editorial queries and factual error reports. If you are reporting a factual error, include the page and the specific statement that needs review. The team checks factual error reports against the measurement records, the broker’s own UAE-facing pages and the three public registers before updating a page. No other contact channel is published for content queries.

FAQs

Who runs CompareForexBrokers.ae?
The site was founded in October 2014 by Justin Grossbard (CEO, research) and Noam Korbl (COO, education). I lead the research, Noam heads education and ran the August 2026 measured capture with David Levy, who fact-checks every page.
Is CompareForexBrokers.ae licensed to give financial advice?
No. I hold no UAE licence and no client money. I am a comparison publisher, not a broker or adviser, and I give no personal financial advice.
How are brokers chosen for coverage?
Brokers must hold at least one live UAE licence from the CMA (formerly SCA), DFSA or FSRA. I apply no other criterion.
Can brokers pay for placement?
No. Some brokers pay a commission on click-throughs, which I disclose at the link. That does not change any measured figure, licence position, or register evidence.
Does CompareForexBrokers.ae test brokers by trading with them?
Yes. Spreads, execution and funding were measured on live funded accounts across the covered brokers between 5 and 28 August 2026, from a DX Equinix VPS in Dubai. Licence facts are checked against the public registers, dated at source.
How can I get in touch?
Use the contact form on the contact page.

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About the author

Justin Grossbard headshot

Justin Grossbard

Justin Grossbard co-founded CompareForexBrokers in 2014 and serves as Co-Founder and CEO. He has traded forex since 1998. For this site he directs the research and comparison of UAE-licensed brokers. He holds Monash University degrees including a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours and a Master of Marketing. His commentary has appeared in Forbes, Kiplinger, Finance Magnates and Entrepreneur.

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