Best trading apps

To guide traders, we’ve researched the best mobile trading apps in the UAE and wider GCC.

Best Brokers For Best mobile trading apps

Summary

This guide is for traders in the UAE and GCC who are looking for the best mobile trading apps to trade on. The use of online trading apps has grown massively in popularity in the UAE and globally, leading to hundreds of trading apps available for traders in the region. Having such a wide choice of trading applications can make it hard to differentiate and choose the right one.

To make things easier, we have researched and analyzed more than 60 mobile trading platforms available for traders, narrowing it down to 4 of the top online trading apps, based on our evaluation.

Top Picks

Broker Snapshot

A world-leading broker offering forex along with CFDs on stocks, indices, crypto and commodities at competitive prices.

Recommended for MT4/MT5 traders looking for low average spreads along with top educational and analysis material.

The UAE’s neo-broker popular for its range of cryptos and MENA stocks available to trade from its intuitive trading app.

Recommended for forex/CFD traders looking for easy account opening, free deposits.

Risk Disclaimer: Trading involves a high risk to the investor's capital. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money with this broker.

Exness Summary

Exness is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker known for having tight spreads, lightning-fast execution, and remarkably transparent trading conditions. Founded in 2008, Exness has earned the trust of millions of traders through its offering of robust platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, and its own proprietary trading platform, the Exness App. Exness is also well-known for having almost-instant withdrawals, 24/7 customer support, and no hidden fees.

What sets Exness apart is its dynamic and unlimited leverage, low minimum deposit, and commission-free trading options, making it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced traders. They have multiple regulatory licenses—including CySEC and the FSCA, promising a secure and compliant trading environment.

Why trade on the Exness app?

We rate the Exness mobile app as a top pick for traders. While many brokers claim tight spreads and fast execution on their platforms, Exness consistently delivers all these across its offering. Exness currency offers over 1000 markets to trade on its trading app, including CFDs on forex, stocks, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies. While these range of markets are below the industry average, Exness does cover all the bases in terms of most popular instruments.

Generally, spreads with Exness remain low and stable, even during high-impact news events like NFP, CPI or FOMC. As the markets are known for their volatility, this high level of consistency adds a layer of predictability that new traders appreciate. Combine this with lightning-fast millisecond execution speeds, it ensures that mobile traders can react quickly to market moves without a delay.

Another feature that’s worth highlighting is Stop Out Protection—a mechanism designed to protect traders from unnecessary stop outs during brief volatility in the markets. For those navigating leveraged trades, this protection can be the difference between maintaining or losing a position prematurely.

Traders also have access to swap-free trading options, making Exness a viable choice for new traders who follow Islamic finance principles. Additionally, we found that funds are accessible without long hold-ups, allowing for smooth, delay-free withdrawals.

Last of all, platform flexibility is a strong plus with Exness. If you prefer traditional platforms, Exness offers the classic MT4 and MT5 suite across all devices. Or if you’re looking for a more modern and feature-heavy platform option, the Exness Web Terminal and Exness Trade app make trading smooth and seamless. In terms of Exness’ app scores, it is rated 4.7 stars on Google Play and 4.1 stars on Apple’s App Store.

Mobile trading with Exness: Pros and cons

✅ Ultra-tight, stable spreads. Competitive spreads even during volatile news events.

✅ Fast execution speeds. Orders are filled in milliseconds, crucial for scalpers.

✅ Excellent research. Exness has an internal team of trading experts providing daily market analysis.

✅ Swap-free account options. Ideal for traders seeking Sharia-compliant solutions.

✅ Stop out protection. Helps protect against premature position closures.

✅ Almost instant withdrawals. Traders can access their profits quickly.

✅ Regulated in multiple jurisdictions. Adds credibility and high level of trader protection.

❌ Limited educational resources. Not as strong as other brokers when it comes to beginner training or in-depth trading guides.

❌ Limited markets. Markets available are below the industry average.

❌ Restricted availability in some regions. See the full list here.

❌ No UAE regulation. At present, Exness is not regulated locally in the UAE.

❌ High cost for social trading. Minimum of $500 to copy-trade, $2,000 to be a strategy provider.

 

  • Minimum deposit

    $5

  • Average forex spreads

    0.6 pips

  • Demo account

  • Mobile trading

  • Time to open account

    1 day

  • Forex trading options

    Forex, stocks, stock indices, thematic indices, commodities, crypto

  • Full review

Risk Disclaimer: Trading involves a high risk to the investor's capital. Around 75% of retail investor accounts lose money with this broker.

XM Summary

XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker. They combine user-friendly platforms, and multilingual support tailored to traders of all experience levels. This has made them a leading name in the industry. Regulated across several jurisdictions, XM has built a reputation for transparency, educational outreach, and extremely solid client protection policies. XM is also regulated locally by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).

Traders at XM can access over 1,000 instruments on the mobile app, including cryptocurrencies, commodities, indices, stocks, and forex. With account types targeted for both beginners and advanced traders, the XM App’s appeal lies in its reliable spreads and ease of use. Whether you’re starting out with a demo or diving straight into live markets, the XM App gives you a balanced mix of accessibility, regulation, and trading power, making it a reliable option for traders.

Why trade on the XM app?

The XM App shines as a solid choice for mobile traders valuing high leverage, a broad selection of tradable assets, and strong educational support. Its thoughtful mix of flexibility, platform reliability, and client protection makes it a broker worth considering—particularly if you’re looking for multilingual learning tools and local UAE support in English and Arabic. Looking at the XM App’s rating, they have a score of 4.4 on Google Play Store and 4.7 on the App Store.

The XM App offers access to around 31+ crypto pairs, 51+ forex pairs, 1000+ stocks, and more. All trading is done via CFDs. This is where traders speculate on the price of instruments like gold, EUR/USD and oil without actually owning the underlying asset physically. For those seeking higher exposure, with XM, you can get high leverage up to 1:1000 available through XM Global Ltd. Though availability may vary depending on the market you trade and your jurisdiction.

Where the XM App earns extra points is its dedicated focus on trader education. Their in-house team of analysts and over 70 instructors provide in-depth market analysis, webinars, and tutorials creating a trading environment centered around learning. This commitment to trading education makes XM appealing to new traders who want to improve their understanding of the markets while trading on mobile in real time.

The XM Standard Account offers accessible conditions for trading, with floating spreads starting from 1 pip, no re-quotes, and fast execution. With a minimum deposit of just $5, traders can open up to 200 simultaneous positions. Accounts can be funded in USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, SGD, and AUD, a solid range of options. 

Mobile trading with XM: Pros and cons

High leverage available. Mobile traders can access leverage up to 1:1000

Strong educational resources. In-depth market analysis, webinars, and over 70 instructors focused on trading education.

Trading competitions. XM regularly holds trading competitions.

✅ Segregated client funds. All XM entities keep client funds separated.

✅ Local support for UAE traders. English and Arabic-speaking support available 24/5.

❌ Leverage varies by region. 1:1000 maximum leverage not available to traders in all jurisdictions.

❌ Inactivity fee: $15 fee imposed after 1 year of inactivity, then a $5 monthly fee if the account stays inactive.

No proprietary desktop platform. XM does not have a proprietary trading platform for desktop.

No crypto deposits. You can not deposit via cryptocurrency with XM.

  • Minimum deposit

    $50

  • Average forex spreads

    1.4 pips

  • Demo account

  • Mobile trading

  • Time to open account

    1 day

  • Forex trading options

    Local MENA and global stocks, forex, crypto, commodities, indices, ETFs

  • Full review

Risk Disclaimer: Trading involves a high risk to the investor's capital. Between 75-90% of retail investor accounts lose money with this broker.

Amana Summary

Amana (amana.app) is a commission-free trading platform that has gained traction in the UAE and the wider MENA region. Known as the UAE’s neo broker, it offers access to a wide variety of financial instruments, including thousands of global and regional stocks, cryptocurrencies, forex, commodities, and indices. The platform is positioned to appeal to beginner users looking for a low-cost entry into the markets. Amana offers both CFDs and physical investing.

While Amana does offer the classic MT4 and MT5 platforms, it is most well-known for the amana app. The mobile platform provides an interface that is clean and user-friendly, which may be particularly helpful for beginners. Educational content is solid and built into the platform, allowing users to learn as they go—another reason why Amana stands out for those new to trading and investing. Amana is also regulated locally in the UAE by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA). In addition, Amana has regulated entities in other regions, including in Jordan (JSC), Cyprus (CySEC), UK (FCA), Lebanon (CMA), and Mauritius (FSC). 

Why trade on the Amana app?

Amana offers one of the most extensive selections of global markets available on any regional platform, covering not just the UAE, but also major markets in Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, alongside the US, UK, and EU, and Asia, helping traders immensely in terms of product selection to diversify their portfolio.

The amana app also supports fractional stock investing, which allows users to purchase a portion of a share rather than a full one. This is a great and generally difficult to find option for investors who want to invest smaller amounts or diversify more broadly across expensive stocks.

In terms of cost, amana offers zero commission, zero exchange fees, and zero clearing fees on the first $100,000 invested. Overall, we found amana’s trading fees to be low. The platform provides 24/6 customer support in both English and Arabic, reflecting its deep regional focus.

The amana app is also designed to consolidate trading activities in one place, from depositing and withdrawing funds to market analysis and education. It features a clean interface, customizable watchlists, and integrated market news. Users also gain free access to premium financial courses through a partnership with Real Vision, directly within the app.

Mobile trading with Amana: Pros and cons

✅ Regulated in the UAE. Amana is licensed by the DFSA and SCA.

✅ Huge asset selection. 5,500+ assets from one account.

✅ Low minimum deposit. Amana has a low $50 minimum deposit.

✅ Great education. Real Vision courses available on the app.

✅ Local support. 24/6 trading support in English and Arabic.

✅ CFDs and investing. Clients can day-trade stocks or invest long-term.

✅ Fractional stock investing. Traders can invest in a fraction of a stock.

❌ Limited base currencies. Accounts only offered in USD base currency.

❌ Lacking research tools. Research & analysis tools could be better.

❌ Slightly higher spreads. Spreads can be on the high side for some instruments.

❌ Lower leverage. Trading leverage is low on some instruments.

  • Minimum deposit

    $100

  • Average forex spreads

    0.9 pips

  • Demo account

  • Mobile trading

  • Time to open account

    1-2 days

  • Forex trading options

    Forex, crypto, commodities, indices, stocks, bonds, vanilla options and ETFs

  • Full review

Risk Disclaimer: Trading involves a high risk to the investor's capital. 76% of retail investor accounts lose money with this broker.

AvaTrade Summary

AvaTrade is a globally-trusted and recognized broker known for its robust and regulated trading environment. AvaTrade has built a comprehensive suite of instruments from forex to commodities and indices to ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. AvaTrade caters to both novice and experienced traders. Their intuitive platforms, including MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, AvaSocial, Capitalise.ai, the AvaTrade App, and others ensure top-tier trading features along with fast and reliable execution. Combined with extensive educational resources through the AvaAcademy, AvaTrade offers an engaging beginner trading experience that empowers clients to trade confidently and navigate the markets with ease.

Why trade on the AvaTrade app?

AvaTrade earns our #4 best mobile app spot thanks to its balanced offering of reliability, platform simplicity, education, and trader-focused tools. Regulated in multiple jurisdictions, including by the FSRA in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, AvaTrade maintains a secure environment for trading forex, stocks, crypto, indices, futures and much more on the app.

New traders can access the global markets around the clock with lower leverage of 1:30 in the UAE (potentially higher in other jurisdictions). For social traders, ZuluTrade, DupliTrade, and AvaSocial provide easy access to copy trading and community learning if you’re new and looking for some trading inspiration.

Spreads at AvaTrade start at 0.0 pips and average at 0.8 pips for EURUSD. AvaTrade’s commission-free model, risk management features like AvaProtect, and Trading Central signals offer solid value for new traders focused on value, especially for those seeking solid education and ease of use. Plus, a free demo account will help beginner traders build their confidence risk-free.

Another plus for new traders is the AvaAcademy, AvaTrade’s dedicated educational hub which is separate from the mobile trading app. It offers structured, beginner-friendly courses on forex, CFDs, risk management, and technical analysis. They are all designed to guide users from foundational concepts to practical strategies. The content is available in multiple formats including video tutorials, quizzes, glossaries, and downloadable guides. For those new to the world of trading, this built-in support system makes AvaTrade a standout choice for learning and growing in a low-pressure and fully supported environment.

Mobile trading with AvaTrade: Pros and cons

✅ Regulated in the UAE. AvaTrade is licensed by Abu Dhabi’s FSRA. 

✅Strong global regulation. AvaTrade is regulated by multiple Tier-1 regulators worldwide.

✅ Diverse markets. Trade 1000+ markets with ease. 

✅ Swap-free accounts. Zero swap account available for new traders seeking Sharia-compliant solutions.

✅ Built-in trading signals. Real-time insights from Trading Central are available directly in the platforms.

✅ AvaProtect risk tool. Offers time-based loss protection for individual trades.

❌ Limited customizability. WebTrader and AvaTradeGO are simpler compared to MT4/MT5.

❌ Limited AvaAcademy access. Great courses but accessible only for registered clients.

❌ Inactivity fee charged. Traders will incur a fee after a period of account inactivity.

Your Guide to Find the Best Mobile Trading Apps in the UAE and GCC

Looking for the best mobile trading apps in the Middle East? Check out our in-depth broker reviews and choose the right one today.

Choosing the best mobile trading app requires careful consideration of regulation, trading conditions, fees, asset selection, education, research and customer support. A well-regulated and reputable CFD trading app will provide a secure trading environment, competitive spreads, and unrestricted access to global markets. For traders in Dubai and wider region, the top mobile apps offer:

  • Strong regulatory compliance
  • Simple and easy to use layout
  • Multiple instruments to trade
  • Low spreads & fast execution
  • Advanced trading platforms
  • Islamic trading options
  • Reliable customer support

If you’re ready to start mobile trading, explore our expert reviews and compare the best mobile trading apps in UAE and GCC to find the perfect platform for your needs.

FAQ

A mobile trading app, also known as a CFD trading app, is a user-friendly platform you can download to your smartphone that lets you buy and sell financial instruments like CFDs on stocks, forex and commodities right from your pocket. These apps are designed to make trading more accessible, allowing you to monitor markets, execute trades, and manage your portfolio anytime, anywhere.

Simply because it puts the market in your pocket. A mobile trading app gives you the freedom to trade anytime, from anywhere, whether you’re on your morning commute or relaxing at home. You can react instantly to market news and manage your trades with just a few taps.

Yes, trading is fully legal in the UAE and wider region. However, while it’s legal for individuals to trade, offering brokerage services or managing funds on behalf of others without a proper license is illegal. Always ensure you trade with a fully regulated broker to protect your funds.

To start mobile trading in Dubai, begin by reading our reviews of the top mobile trading apps for UAE traders. Once you’ve chosen a platform, download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store, create your account, and you’ll be ready to start trading directly from your phone.

No, mobile trading is not taxable in the UAE. While many other countries will require traders to report capital gains or trading income, Dubai and the wider UAE have no personal income tax, making it a tax-efficient location to trade freely.

Yes, some brokers allow you to open and fund trading accounts in AED. This is especially useful to avoid currency conversion fees. Equiti is one broker that supports AED-denominated accounts, making it easier for UAE traders to manage their trading with local funds.

Risk Disclaimer:

Trading involves risk to your capital. As a general rule, you should only trade in financial products that you are familiar with and understand the risk associated with them. The risk warning described in each financial product below is not exhaustive, you should carefully consider your investment experience, financial situation, investment objective, risk tolerance level and consult your independent financial adviser as to the suitability of your situation prior making any investment.