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How CFD Fit is scored
I designed CFD Fit to rank each broker out of 100 points, and the score has two halves. Seventy points come from this page’s own captured columns, which is the part specific to trading CFDs. Thirty points come from the broker’s Overall CFB Score, the same figure its review page publishes, which reflects how it performs across everything else we assess. A broker that is strong on CFDs and strong overall therefore ranks above one that is strong on CFDs alone.
Cost carries 30 of the category points. My rubric uses the all-in round-turn cost of one standard lot of EUR/USD on the broker’s own cheapest published account: spread in pips multiplied by USD 10, plus the commission per side multiplied by two. Points are banded rather than scaled linearly, so one broker with an unusually wide spread cannot compress the rest of the field into a narrow range. That keeps the comparison fair.
Platform breadth contributes 22 points, at five points for each distinct named trading platform, capped at 22. I count products rather than skins, so a broker’s MetaTrader 4 web terminal is MetaTrader 4. Choice of platform determines the tools and automation available, so I weight it accordingly.
Captured CFD instrument range contributes 18 points, awarded where a range has been captured from the broker’s UAE-facing pages and withheld where it has not. Range is captured for four of the twelve brokers so far. A broker with no captured range is not being marked down for having a narrow one; it is being marked down for us not yet knowing, and the range column shows which case each row is. Check the column to see what we have verified.
Regulatory standing is no longer a separate dimension, and its removal is not a downgrade of how much regulation matters. Version 1 of CFD Fit weighted it at 40 points. The Overall CFB Score already carries trust and regulation at 20 per cent of its own weighting, so keeping a separate regulatory dimension beside it would have counted the same licence twice inside one number. Regulatory standing now reaches the score through the Overall half, where it is assessed once, against the register, on the criteria published at our methodology page. That gives a cleaner, unduplicated view of how a licence affects the total.
A broker with no published Overall CFB Score gets no CFD Fit either. Rather than score it on the seventy points we can measure and scale that up to 100, which would quietly reward the missing half, the table shows “Not scored” in both columns, keeps every figure we did capture, and places the broker at the bottom. CFI’s review was published on 26 August 2026, so every broker on this page now carries both an Overall CFB Score and a CFD Fit. It no longer affects eToro: it prices EUR/USD as a percentage of trade value rather than in pips, and once our cost model could read that unit in August 2026 its review scored and both columns filled in. I want every captured number visible even when a full score is not possible.
Every score on this page is recomputed from its inputs at build time rather than typed by hand, so a corrected figure moves the score with it. Ties break on the category half first, then on the Overall CFB Score, then alphabetically. When a ranking shifts, the data drove it.
Every UAE-licensed CFD broker reviewed
Risk warning: CFDs are leveraged products. Leverage works against you as well as for you, and you may lose some or all of your deposit. Read the broker's own client agreement and check its licence on the CMA (formerly SCA), DFSA or FSRA public register before opening an account.
1. Capital.com: dealing and custody inside the UAE, at 88
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 6.00
Trading platforms
Capital.com platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView
UAE licence
CMA (formerly SCA) CP-0000937, dealing tier
Capital.com suits the trader who wants a single UAE-licensed entity with both dealing and custody permissions, plus a large catalogue. I score it 88 out of 100. Standing adds 28 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 92 that its review publishes. The ADGM-licensed entity, Key Way Markets Limited (FSRA 190005), carries a Providing Custody endorsement effective 4 March 2024, confirmed on the FSRA public register walk of 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores 22 of 30. The Standard account quotes a typical spread of 0.6 pips on EUR/USD with no commission, captured 24 August 2026, producing a round-turn cost of USD 6.00 per standard lot. Platform breadth adds 20 of 22 points for four named platforms: the Capital.com platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradingView. The captured CFD range earns the full 18 points and shows over 5,500 instruments. Shares, commodities, forex, cryptocurrencies and bonds or treasuries are all offered without a published count; 35 indices are listed, and ETFs are not published. For a trader who values ADGM custody above all else, this is where my recommendation would land first. It delivers a strong combination of custody, cost and catalogue in one place.
Pros & Cons
- Capital.com holds a CMA Dealing in Investments licence under reference CP-0000937.
- The broker publishes maximum leverage of 300:1 on major forex pairs.
- AED is an account currency and deposits in AED are accepted via bank transfer and card with no fee.
- The exact contracting entity for a UAE resident is not publicly verified.
- Spreads are dynamic and no typical spread figure is published.
- The Swap-Free account terms contain no Islamic or Shari'ah certification language.
2. MultiBank: the cheapest published round turn, at 93
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 2.00
Trading platforms
MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, MB Trader, Social Trading
UAE licence
CMA (formerly SCA) CP-0000816, dealing tier
MultiBank appeals to cost-sensitive traders who can accept that the UAE entity holds dealing permission but no custody permission, and that the account-opening journey may route them to a Cayman Islands company. I score it 93 out of 100. Standing adds 25 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 82 that its review publishes. MEX GLOBAL FINANCIAL SERVICES L.L.C holds a CMA licence (CP-0000816) as a trading broker of OTC derivatives and currencies, but the CMA register extract showed no custody permission during the 17-19 August 2026 walk. Sign-ups via the multibankfx.com website may contract with MEX Atlantic Corporation, regulated by CIMA in the Cayman Islands. Cost scores the full 30 of 30. The Standard account quotes a typical spread of 0.2 pips on EUR/USD with no commission, captured 24 August 2026, yielding a round-turn cost of USD 2.00. Platform breadth adds 20 of 22 points for four named platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, MB Trader and Social Trading. The captured CFD range earns the full 18 points, but the broker does not publish an instrument total. Shares, indices, commodities, forex and cryptocurrencies are offered without a count; bonds or treasuries and ETFs are not published. The cost advantage is clear, but the entity on the account forms must be checked.
Pros & Cons
- CMA-licensed dealing entity MEX GLOBAL FINANCIAL SERVICES L.L.C (CP-0000816) acts as counterparty.
- Maximum leverage of 500:1 published for major FX pairs, gold and commodities.
- Swap-free account available for precious metals, FX majors and crosses with no holding restriction.
- Funding methods, deposit and withdrawal fees, processing times and AED acceptance are not published.
- Swap-free eligibility restricted to GCC nationals, excluding many UAE residents.
- Islamic account terms page still shows an expired promotional window (ended 30 June 2026) and links to an offshore entity document.
3. Pepperstone: the deepest platform list, offshore custody, at 91
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 7.00
Trading platforms
MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, Pepperstone platform
UAE licence
DFSA (DIFC) F004356, arranging tier
Pepperstone suits the platform-agnostic trader who wants the widest choice of trading software and accepts that client money sits offshore and the UAE licence covers arrangement only. I score it 91 out of 100. Standing adds 29 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 98 that its review publishes. The DFSA licence (F004356) covers arranging deals with no custody endorsement, and the onshore CMA licence is a Category 5 arrangement and advice permission, both confirmed on the 17-19 August 2026 register walk. Client money is held by Pepperstone Markets Limited in the Bahamas (SIA-F217). Cost scores 22 of 30. The Razor account quotes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0 pips and a commission of USD 3.50 per side, captured 24 August 2026, for a round-turn cost of USD 7.00. Platform breadth earns the full 22 of 22 points for five named platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView and the Pepperstone platform. The captured CFD range earns the full 18 points and shows 1,350 instruments, including 1,100 shares, 20 indices, 40 commodities, 90 forex pairs and 90 ETFs. Cryptocurrencies are offered without a count; bonds or treasuries are not published. For a trader whose priority is software flexibility and who can live with the custody gap, it is a clear candidate.
Pros & Cons
- DFSA licence F004356 with arranging permission.
- AED account currency and local bank partner Mashreq Bank.
- MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradingView platforms.
- Arranging licence only; does not hold client money.
- Swap-free account unverified; published eligibility list does not name the UAE.
- Pepperstone does not publish a minimum withdrawal amount for any funding method on its UAE pages, so you cannot tell what the smallest withdrawal is before opening an account.
4. IG: the widest published CFD range, at 82
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 6.00
Trading platforms
IG platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView
UAE licence
DFSA (DIFC) F001780, dealing tier
In my view, IG fits the trader who values range breadth above all else and wants a DFSA-licensed entity that can hold client assets. I score it 82 out of 100. Standing adds 22 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 72 that its review publishes. IG Limited (DFSA F001780) holds a Holding or Controlling Client Assets endorsement and a Providing Custody permission, as recorded on the DFSA register walk of 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores 22 of 30. The CFD account publishes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.6 pips with no commission, captured 18 August 2026, giving a round-turn cost of USD 6.00. Platform breadth adds 20 of 22 points for four named platforms: the IG platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradingView. The captured CFD range earns the full 18 points. IG publishes the widest captured CFD range on this page, with 17,000 instruments. That figure includes 11,000 shares, 80 indices, 35 commodities and 80 forex pairs. Cryptocurrencies, bonds or treasuries, and ETFs are not published. For the deepest catalogue and DFSA custody, IG is where I would start.
Pros & Cons
- Holds a DFSA dealing licence under register reference F001780.
- Publishes retail asset-class leverage maximums that match the DFSA rulebook figures.
- IG publishes no per-lot commission on the CFD account; the cost is built into the spread.
- IG publishes no swap-free or Islamic account for UAE clients, and its published rule is that you will be charged a daily interest fee for holding positions overnight.
- AED does not appear on the captured UAE page; account currencies and conversion fees are not published.
- IG names no copy trading or social trading product for UAE clients.
5. CFI: zero commission on a CMA licence, at 66
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 4.00
Trading platforms
MetaTrader 5, TradingView, CFI Trading App
UAE licence
CMA CMA CP-0000894
CFI fits the trader who wants a straightforward CMA-licensed dealing broker with a zero-commission account and is comfortable that custody permission was not found on the register. I score it 66 out of 100. Standing adds 25 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 84 that its review publishes. CFI FINANCIAL MARKETS L.L.C holds CMA licence CP-0000894, which permits dealing, but no custody permission appeared in the register extract walked 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores 26 of 30. The Zero Commission account publishes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.4 pips with no commission, captured 18 August 2026, for a round-turn cost of USD 4.00. Platform breadth adds 15 of 22 points for three named platforms: MetaTrader 5, TradingView and the CFI Trading App. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. Your all-in cost is low and transparent, but you must accept the custody gap.
6. Equiti: raw pricing on a Category 1 licence, at 63
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 7.00
Trading platforms
MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Equiti Trader
UAE licence
CMA (formerly SCA) CP-0000791, dealing tier
Equiti fits the trader who wants raw-spread pricing with a disclosed commission and can live with a CMA dealing licence that lacks custody. I score it 63 out of 100. Standing adds 26 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 87 that its review publishes. Equiti Securities Currencies Brokers LLC holds a Category 1 CMA licence (CP-0000791) for dealing; no custody permission appeared in the register extract walked 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores 22 of 30. The Premier account quotes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0 pips and a commission of USD 3.50 per side, captured 18 August 2026. The round-turn cost is USD 7.00. Platform breadth adds 15 of 22 points for three platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and Equiti Trader. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. My judgement is that the clean, disclosed pricing on MT4 and MT5 makes this a sensible shortlist candidate if custody sits elsewhere. Transparent pricing is there, but the instrument list should be verified directly before committing.
Pros & Cons
- AED is accepted for account denomination, deposits and local bank transfers with no fees.
- The CMA licence permits the broker to deal as principal, providing direct counterparty execution.
- A Micro account offers MT5 and WebTrader access as an additional account alongside your main trading account.
- The broker publishes a maximum of 500:1 on major forex pairs; the CMA does not set a retail leverage cap, so this is the broker's own commercial figure.
- Four versions of the swap-free terms are publicly accessible, creating uncertainty about the applicable equity or balance trigger.
- Classic and Standard accounts do not publish a typical or advertised EUR/USD spread.
7. ADSS: an Abu Dhabi onshore broker, at 61
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 7.00
Trading platforms
ADSS Platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5
UAE licence
CMA (formerly SCA) CP-0000786, dealing tier
ADSS fits a UAE-based trader who prefers an onshore CMA-licensed broker headquartered in Abu Dhabi and does not need custody. I score it 61 out of 100. Standing adds 24 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 79 that its review publishes. ADS SECURITIES - L.L.C - S.P.C holds a Category 1 CMA licence (CP-0000786) that permits dealing, but no custody permission was found in the register extract walked 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores 22 of 30. The Elite+ account publishes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.7 pips with no commission, captured 18 August 2026, for a round-turn cost of USD 7.00. Platform breadth adds 15 of 22 points for three named platforms: the ADSS Platform, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. For the trader who wants an Abu Dhabi-based broker and can accept the custody gap, this is your clearest onshore option.
Pros & Cons
- Holds an onshore UAE dealing licence from the CMA under reference CP-0000786.
- Supports AED deposits through UAEPGS, the Central Bank of the UAE payment gateway.
- Offers three platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and the proprietary ADSS Trading Platform.
- Swap-free trading is limited to ten indices; standard forex accounts are not swap-free.
- Typical spreads and commissions are not published for Classic, Elite, and Pro accounts.
- The exact entity a UAE retail client contracts with has not been verified.
8. AvaTrade: four platforms on an ADGM licence, at 56
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 9.00
Trading platforms
WebTrader, AvaTrade App, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5
UAE licence
FSRA (ADGM) FSP 190018, dealing tier
AvaTrade fits a trader who wants a choice of four platforms under an ADGM licence and can tolerate an unconfirmed custody status. I score it 56 out of 100. Standing adds 19 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 64 that its review publishes. Ava Trade Middle East Limited (FSRA 190018) holds a dealing licence, but the regulated-activities table returned no results on the 19 August 2026 register walk, so custody is unconfirmed rather than confirmed absent. Cost scores 17 of 30. The Standard account quotes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.9 pips with no commission, captured 18 August 2026, producing a round-turn cost of USD 9.00. Platform breadth adds 20 of 22 points for four named platforms: WebTrader, the AvaTrade App, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. The platform choice is generous, but the custody question is one I would raise directly with the broker.
Pros & Cons
- ADGM dealing licence held by Ava Trade Middle East Limited (FSP 190018).
- No commission on the single CFD offering.
- Swap-free account available with a five-day grace period.
- Broker-published leverage for gold, indices, commodities and shares exceeds FSRA retail caps.
- AED acceptance for deposits and withdrawals is not stated.
- Swap-free account terms contain three conflicting statements on charges after five days.
9. XTB: custody permission but a narrow platform list, at 49
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
USD 8.00
Trading platforms
xStation 5, MetaTrader 4
UAE licence
DFSA (DIFC) F006316, dealing tier
XTB is a candidate if you prioritise a DFSA-licensed entity with full custody permission and can work with just two platforms. I score it 49 out of 100. Standing adds 22 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 72 that its review publishes. XTB MENA Limited (DFSA F006316) holds a Holding or Controlling Client Assets endorsement, confirmed on the DFSA register walk of 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores 17 of 30. The Standard account publishes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.8 pips with no commission, captured 18 August 2026, giving a round-turn cost of USD 8.00. Platform breadth adds 10 of 22 points for two named platforms: xStation 5 and MetaTrader 4. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured from the broker’s local pages, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. Your custody protection is strong; your platform choice is narrower.
Pros & Cons
- Zero minimum deposit on the standard account.
- No commission per lot on the standard account.
- Regulated by the DFSA in the DIFC under reference F006316.
- AED is not supported for deposits, withdrawals, or account currency.
- API access is not published.
- Swap-free account does not state Shari'ah certification.
10. eToro: custody permission, percentage pricing, at 40
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
Not published
Trading platforms
eToro platform, eToro app
UAE licence
FSRA (ADGM) FSP 220073, dealing tier
eToro fits the social and copy-trader who values a full ADGM licence with custody and can work with percentage-based pricing rather than a pip spread. I score it 40 out of 100. Standing adds 18 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 61 that its review publishes. eToro (ME) Ltd (FSRA 220073) holds Providing Custody and Arranging Custody permissions, confirmed on the FSRA register walk of 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores 12 of 30. eToro publishes no pip figure; it charges 0.005% of trade value per side on the Standard account, on open and on close, which converts at the declared EUR/USD basis of 1.1679 to a round-turn cost of USD 11.68 per standard lot. Platform breadth adds 10 of 22 points for two platforms: the eToro platform and the eToro app. There is no MetaTrader, no cTrader and no TradingView. The TradingView charts you see inside eToro are a charting library eToro licenses into its own platform, not a venue you can send an order from. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. If social trading is your priority, you get strong custody and a cost that can now be computed, but at USD 11.68 the round turn sits well above the rest of this table.
Pros & Cons
- eToro (ME) Ltd holds FSRA (ADGM) register reference FSP 220073 with a dealing tier permission.
- eToro publishes a full Swap-Free administrative fee schedule, the only broker of the nine in the captured set that does so.
- The single offering account has a minimum deposit of USD 100 and its FX cost is the spread alone.
- The exact entity a UAE resident contracts with is still unverified.
- AED is not an account currency and is not accepted as a deposit currency; no UAE local bank detail is stated.
- eToro states it is not licensed to offer Sharia-compliant accounts.
11. Century Financial: a per-unit commission and no published spread, at 39
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
Not published
Trading platforms
Century Trader App, MetaTrader 5, CQG
UAE licence
CMA (formerly SCA) CP-0000038, dealing tier
Century Financial suits a trader who wants a long-established onshore CMA broker and can accept that the firm discloses a per-unit commission but publishes no typical EUR/USD spread. I score it 39 out of 100. Standing adds 24 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 81 that its review publishes. Century Financial Consultancy LLC holds CMA licence CP-0000038, which permits dealing; no custody permission appeared in the register extract walked 17-19 August 2026. Cost scores zero of 30. The broker does not publish a typical EUR/USD spread, so the all-in round-turn cost cannot be calculated and the cost dimension scores zero on the absence of a published figure. Platform breadth adds 15 of 22 points for three named platforms: the Century Trader App, MetaTrader 5 and CQG. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. I would only send a trader here once the spread is published and the instrument list confirmed, given the zero cost score. You cannot compute your all-in cost before trading, and that gap is reflected in the score.
Pros & Cons
- Licensed by the CMA (formerly SCA) under reference CP-0000038.
- Zero fees for standard bank transfer deposits and withdrawals.
- Commission structure is published: USD 0.00015 per CFD unit (minimum USD 1.50 per lot per side).
- No swap-free account is offered.
- AED is not accepted as an account or deposit currency.
- Broker has not published a leverage schedule.
12. Amana: a DFSA licence behind an app-only offer, at 28
Round turn, 1 lot EUR/USD
Not published
Trading platforms
amana app
UAE licence
DFSA (DIFC) F003269, dealing tier
Amana is a narrow fit for the trader who wants a DFSA-licensed entity with custody and is willing to trade exclusively through a single app that the regulator has publicly disowned from the licensed entity. I score it 28 out of 100. Standing adds 23 of the 30 points, carried from the Overall CFB Score of 75 that its review publishes. Amana Financial Services (Dubai) Limited (DFSA F003269) holds a Holding or Controlling Client Assets endorsement, confirmed on the 17-19 August 2026 register walk. Cost scores zero of 30 because Amana publishes no typical EUR/USD spread. That zero reflects the absence of a published figure, not a cost judgement. Platform breadth adds 5 of 22 points for a single named platform, the amana app. The DFSA clarified on 20 January 2023 that the amana app is not a product of the DFSA-licensed entity. The CFD instrument range for the UAE entity has not yet been captured, so the 18 range points are withheld until it is. If you go down this path, I would confirm in writing which entity stands behind your account.
Pros & Cons
- DFSA-regulated dealing firm, licence F003269.
- Commission of 0 USD per lot per side.
- AED local bank transfers accepted for deposits.
- Account name, spreads, and minimum deposit are not published.
- No swap-free or Islamic account available under the DFSA entity.
- Group website onboarding defaults to AFS Global (Labuan), not the DFSA firm.
What a CFD costs in the UAE
Watch: how we test and rank UAE-licensed CFD brokers on cost, platform breadth and instrument range.
A CFD trade carries three cost legs. The spread is the gap between the buy and sell price quoted by the broker. A commission is a separate per-trade charge, usually quoted per side, meaning a round-turn trade pays it twice. Overnight financing applies when a position is held past the daily cut, and a swap-free account changes how that financing leg is charged, often with conditions attached. You need to understand all three to know what you actually pay.
The CFD Fit cost rubric measures only the spread and commission on one standard lot of EUR/USD. It does not score overnight financing because financing rates vary with position direction, holding period and market interest rates, and a single snapshot cannot capture them fairly. The rubric uses the broker’s own cheapest published account and calculates the round-turn cost as spread in pips multiplied by USD 10, plus the commission per side multiplied by two. This gives you a clean, like-for-like cost comparison.
A low headline spread can mislead, in my experience. MultiBank quotes a typical EUR/USD spread of 0.2 pips on its Standard account with no commission, captured 24 August 2026. The round-turn cost is USD 2.00. Pepperstone’s Razor account quotes a typical spread of 0 pips and a commission of USD 3.50 per side, captured 24 August 2026. The round-turn cost is USD 7.00. A trader who looked only at the zero-pip spread would miss the USD 7.00 cost. The all-in round turn is the figure that matters for your wallet.
Three of the twelve brokers on this page publish no typical EUR/USD spread at all. eToro, Amana and Century Financial score zero on the cost dimension for that reason. The zero is a score for transparency of the published figure, not a statement that those brokers are expensive. A trader who cannot see a typical spread cannot compute the all-in cost before trading, and the rubric reflects that gap. If cost certainty matters to you, those three will frustrate you.
Every spread and commission figure on this page carries the capture date from which it was taken. Spreads are variable and the snapshot may differ from what you see on a live account, but the rubric applies the same method to all brokers to keep the comparison consistent. You can use the date to judge how current the snapshot is.
How to choose a CFD broker in the UAE
Confirm the licence and the entity on the register. A Dubai office address is not a DIFC licence, and a broker that mentions regulation in a free zone may not hold the permissions you assume. I would start by visiting the public register of the CMA (formerly SCA), the DFSA or the FSRA and searching by the entity name that appears on the broker’s UAE website. Check what the licence actually permits. A dealing permission is not the same as a custody permission, and an arranging licence means the broker can introduce you but cannot hold your money. Your first step is always the register.
Check which entity the account forms name. Several brokers on this page operate a UAE-licensed entity alongside an offshore group company. The account-opening journey may route you to the offshore entity, especially if the UAE entity does not hold custody. I urge you to read the client agreement before you fund the account and confirm the legal name of the counterparty. If the name does not match the UAE-licensed entity, you are contracting with a different company under a different regulator. That changes who holds your money and which rules protect you.
Compare the all-in round turn, not the headline spread. A zero-pip spread paired with a USD 7.00 commission per round turn costs more than a 0.6-pip spread with no commission. I recommend you ask for the typical spread on the account you would actually use and add the commission per side. If the broker publishes no typical spread, you cannot calculate the cost before you trade. That absence is a practical factor in your choice, and I would not ignore it.
Check whether the asset classes you want are offered by the UAE entity. A group website may display a broad range of share, index, commodity and cryptocurrency CFDs, but the UAE-licensed entity may offer a narrower set. Where this page shows a range as not yet captured, I would verify directly with the broker which instruments are available on the UAE entity’s account. You do not want to fund an account only to find your preferred market is missing.
Verify the platform. A broker that lists MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradingView gives you more flexibility than one that offers only a proprietary app. If you rely on automated strategies or third-party tools, I would confirm that the platform version supported by the UAE entity is the one you need. Your strategy depends on the right tools, and a platform mismatch can stop you cold.
What this page does not yet tell you
CFD instrument range has been captured for only four of the twelve brokers so far. The range figures that appear beside the score are evidence, not part of the score. Range will join the CFD Fit rubric as a scored dimension in version 2 once the capture is complete. For the eight brokers marked as not captured, I would check the instrument list published by the UAE entity directly. Until we complete the capture, that check is yours to make.
XTB publishes an instrument total on its international site, but the broker operates two separate live UAE entities. That total cannot be attributed to either UAE entity, so I do not use it on this page. The same caution applies to any broker where a group site displays a range that may not match the local offer. When you see a global number, you should ask whether your UAE account actually gets that full list.
Amana’s product material sits largely on a group site whose default account opening routes to a Labuan-regulated entity. The DFSA has stated that the amana app is not a product of the DFSA-licensed entity. If you open an account through that app, I would verify which entity stands behind the contract. You need to know whose rules govern your money.
Retail leverage for a UAE CFD account depends on the regulator named on the account forms. A broker licensed onshore by the CMA (formerly SCA) may offer a cap of 500:1 on major forex pairs. A DFSA licensed broker in the DIFC is capped at 30:1 on major forex pairs. This site publishes no FSRA figure. Some brands hold licences from two UAE regulators, so the same brand can carry either cap depending on the entity named on the account forms. Leverage amplifies losses as much as gains. I always stress that a larger cap means a smaller adverse move wipes out your deposit. You must know which entity’s cap applies to your account before you place a trade.
Compare CFD brokers by asset class
Each asset class has its own page, where I regrade the brokers for that market rather than carrying over the ranking from here. You can follow the links below to find the broker that best fits your chosen market.
FAQs
Which CFD broker is best in the UAE?
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Related pages
About the author
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.