Stock Trading UAE For Beginners: App, Fees, Markets, and more

Welcome to the fascinating world of UAE stock trading! You are in the perfect place if you have ever wondered how to invest in UAE stock market online. With the correct knowledge and resources, anyone can become a profitable trader. This guide is for you whether you are interested in opportunities in the United Arab Emirates or are inspired by the hustle and bustle of the New York Stock Exchange.

The practice of trading stocks has grown in popularity among retail investors. These are regular people who buy and sell stocks. Thanks to the growth of user-friendly stock trading UAE apps, it is now simpler than ever to access the financial markets. However, where do you even start? This step-by-step guide will take you through all the steps you need to start trading stocks in the United Arab Emirates.

Making a trading strategy is essential. We will help you with risk management, portfolio diversification, and goal setting. Prepare yourself, then, to start trading stocks. With our in-depth article, you will be well-prepared to handle the financial situation and begin trading like a pro. Now, let’s get going!

How to Select the Best Trading Platform in the UAE

After applying strict selection criteria, the obvious question is: What standards should we employ to determine which platforms are the best in the business?  When choosing the best trading platform in the United Arab Emirates, keep the following essential criteria in mind:

Brokerage License 

Multiple brokers may offer some trading platforms. While many brokers work outside reputable governs such as those in the UK, Australia, or the EU, some are licensed and managed. The different licensing types various countries offer make it difficult to choose the correct broker. Selecting a broker authorised and overseen by a credible financial regulator is essential. This guarantees that their trading actions, best execution policy, privacy policy, fund security, deposits, withdrawals, and other activities are continuously monitored and inspected.

Mobile Trading Capabilities

In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to trade on the go is vital for individual investors. Choose a platform that provides a feature-rich mobile stock trading UAE app. You should be able to monitor and manage your trades from anywhere at any time with the app’s complete feature set, which includes all of the desktop version’s functionality.

Security and Regulation

Security needs to be your trading platform’s priority. Make sure it protects your assets and personal information using secure login procedures and advanced encryption. Make sure a respectable financial regulator in the UAE oversees the platform. Regulation adds a degree of safety in the high risk area of trading by ensuring the platform complies with strict criteria.

Available Assets

Different platforms provide access to various financial instruments. Make sure the platform you select enables you to trade the asset types—stocks, bonds, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies—that interest you. There are greater chances for growth and diversification when there is a wide variety of assets.

Fees and Commissions

The impact of trading costs on your profitability might be significant. When looking into stock trading UAE fees, compare the fee structures of different platforms. Seek platforms with competitive spreads, minimal hidden charges, and low or no commission fees. Recognise extra expenses like inactivity or withdrawal fees.

Best Trading Platforms in UAE for Beginners

1. eToro

If you are interested in the UAE stock market live, eToro offers up-to-date real-time market data. eToro offers excellent research tools to help new users. It provides data from leading analysts and financial institutions like Tip Ranks, The Bull Club, and eToro Plus. Numerous technical indicators and dynamic charting options are available on the site. Simple trading tools include outstanding charting, price notifications, and one-click trading. 

Features

• Modern monitoring technologies, two-factor authentication, and offline and online coin storage are some security methods for cryptocurrency. 
• Additionally, eToro provides excellent round-the-clock customer service in both Arabic and English. 
• There are more than ten distinct ways to pay to finance your account.

Fees

• Fiat Deposit Fees: None (currency conversion fee applies)
• Crypto Trading Fees: 1% + Spread
• Withdrawal Fees: $5 (for Silver and Gold members; none for Platinum, Platinum+, and Diamond members)

Pros

• Extensive collection of study materials and learning resources.
• It is a simple app to use.

Cons

• It is not accessible in Minnesota, Hawaii, or New York.

2. Plus500

Tailored for enthusiasts of CFD trading, Plus500 combines elegance and efficiency to provide a smooth trading environment. Plus500 offers easy-to-use tools and a simple layout to make managing the challenges of CFD trading easier. New traders can create demo accounts with virtual funds on this trading platform, which also benefits them. This will prevent them from making actual investments without any market research.

Features

• The Dubai Financial Services Authority (Dubai Financial Market) regulates and authorises Plus500AE Ltd.
• You can acquire multilingual, round-the-clock, attentive customer care.
• Various order types, such as guaranteed limit orders, limit orders, and market orders

Fees

• Deposit Fee: 0.70%
• Withdrawal Fee: $10 (after five withdrawals or below minimum), $6 (bank wire), $10 (different source)
• Inactivity Fee: $10 (after three months)

Pros

• Controlled by the DFSA.
• Access to more than 3,000 financial products with a leverage ratio of up to 30:1.

Cons

• Tools for experienced traders are missing from platforms.

3. AvaTrade

With over 1,250 CFDs and 44 FX pairs available to customers, AvaTrade is a forex and CFD broker authorised by the DFSA. Users of AvaTrade have access to eight distinct trading platforms and user-friendly add-ons like ZuluTrade and DupliTrade. These enable beginners to mimic the moves of experienced traders rather than making their investments.

Features

• Opening an account with AvaTrade is simple and entirely digital. Trading can begin in a matter of minutes.
• AvaProtect insurance plan is one of the many features of the user-friendly, up-to-date AvaTradeGo mobile app.
• MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are both available from AvaTrade.

Fees

• Withdrawal Fee: None
• Inactivity Fee: $50

Pros

• Excellent for trading beginners.
• Multiple high-ranking authorities extensively regulate them.

Cons

• It only offers CFD trading.

4. SaxoTraderGO

In today’s volatile markets, Saxo Bank gives traders the instruments to execute transactions confidently and precisely. This platform, the most incredible trading app in Dubai, has impressive features that benefit all traders, regardless of experience level. It also provides customers access to the Dubai Stock Exchange, expanding their trading options.

Features

• The margin usage for every instrument is easily observable.
• It permits trading many assets, including equities, bonds, FX, commodities, cryptocurrencies, etc.
• An easy-to-use platform for long-term investors, SaxoInvestor allows for simple portfolio diversification across international stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and mutual funds.

Fees

• Stock and ETF Commission: $1 (min), $0.03 (VIP)
• FX Fees: 0.8 (spread)
• Options Commission: $2 (standard), $0.75 (VIP)
• Futures Fees: $3 (standard), $1 (VIP)
• Deposit and Withdrawal Fees: $0
• Index CFD Fees: 0.5 (spread)
• Stock CFD Fees: $4 (min), $1 (VIP)

Pros

• A simple mobile and desktop application.
• Several Banking Licenses.

Cons

• No customer service is available around the clock.

5. Sarwa

With its headquarters in Dubai, Sarwa is a full-service broker that lets customers trade and invest in more than 4,000 US equities, mutual funds, ETFs, indexes, and cryptocurrencies. Sarwa makes it simple for beginners to access the market by offering automated investing, self-directed trading, and financial advising services on a single platform. It also provides access to local financing possibilities on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.

Features

• There are five different portfolios to choose from.
• There are three different order types: limit, market, and stop limit.

Fees

• Deposit Fees: None

• Withdrawal Fees: None

• Commission Fees: $1 or 0.25% of traded value

• Trade Fees: Starts with $1

• Invest: $7/month

• Crypto: 0.75% spread

Pros

• Online portal, eliminating the need to go to a local branch.
• There is a $50 referral bonus for new users.

Cons

• Restricted possibilities for investing.

6. Pepperstone

Australia-based Pepperstone is a CFD broker. Their platforms provide access to over 180 financial products, such as forex and CFDs, on stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Reputable financial regulators such as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) supervise Pepperstone.

Features

• A variety of platform add-ons from Pepperstone improve the MetaTrader experience.
• The recently released proprietary mobile app from Pepperstone offers good functionality.
• Islamic accounts without swaps are offered.

Fees

• Withdrawal Fees: None (clients outside EU and Australia: $20)

• Inactivity Fees: None

• Deposit Fees: None
• Forex Commission: $3.50 (forex spread: 0.1)
• Index CFD Spread: 0.4
• Stock CFD Commission: $0.02 per share (minimum fee $0.2)

Pros

• Algorithmic trading features.
• Numerous integrations with third parties (cTrader, Tradingview, MT4, MT5).

Cons

• Only a few instructional videos are available.
• Restricted advanced order categories.

Nasdaq Dubai

The Middle East’s stock market, Nasdaq Dubai, is in Dubai and lists domestic and foreign shares. The entire Middle East and North Africa, Turkey, the Indian subcontinent, the United Arab Emirates and the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are all included in the NASDAQ Dubai region. DFM, which purchased two-thirds of NASDAQ Dubai’s shares from Borse Dubai and NASDAQ OMX Group in May 2010, is the company’s predominant shareholder. 

Conclusion

In the United Arab Emirates, stock trading can be rewarding and thrilling. Beginners can succeed if they have the correct resources and understanding. Select a trading platform based on features such as minimal fees and user-friendly interfaces that meet your demands. Don’t forget to consider customer service, security, and research tools. A profitable trading adventure can be yours with careful planning and wise choices. Happy trading!