Binary Trading in the UAE | Legality, Brokers & Tutorial

At present, binary options trading is not explicitly regulated in the UAE. A binary option is an “all-or-nothing” type of derivative where you either get a fixed payout—up to 95% of your invested amount depending on the binary broker and specific asset—if you predict the asset’s price direction correctly at a predefined expiration, or you lose your entire invested amount if your forecast is incorrect.

Is Binary Options Trading Legal in the UAE?

Yes, binary options trading is legal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Therefore, you can trade this financial instrument as long as the binary options broker or platform you choose is accessible and permitted in the country. There are no specific laws that prevent UAE citizens from trading binaries.

How is Binary Options Trading Regulated in the UAE?

Binary Options trading in the United Arab Emirates is not regulated and not recommended by the UAE regulators. In the UAE, the financial market is primarily regulated by two financial authorities, but there are no specific regulations for binary brokers: the country’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Furthermore, many binary options brokers, including those we will cover, are regulated by international governing bodies.

What are the Best Binary Trading Brokers in the UAE? 

These are the Top 3 Binary Options Brokers and Platforms that are legal in the UAE:

1. Pocket Option

Best for: Both Beginner and Experienced Traders

Overview: Pocket Option is the best Binary Options broker for UAE traders in our comparison. It was founded in 2017 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The broker stands out for its low $5 minimum deposit and user-friendly trading platform, available for both PC and mobile versions via Binary Trading App (iOS and Android). Additionally, it offers a comprehensive suite of technical tools and educational resources, making it suitable for both beginners and advanced traders. Pocket Option is legal in the UAE, and you can sign up with the brokerage if you live in Dubai or another city in the UAE.

Is Pocket Option legal in the UAE?

Yes, Pocket Option can be used in the UAE for binary options trading. That said, it is not explicitly banned by either the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) nor the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). However, Quotex remains unregulated in the UAE.

Key Facts:

Feature	Pocket Option
Accepts UAE Traders	Yes
Deposit Requirement	At least $5 (or the equivalent in AED)
Minimum Trade	As low as $1 (or the equivalent in AED) per trade
Minimum Withdrawal	At least $20  (or the equivalent in AED) per request
Payout Rate	23% to 92%, depending on the asset
Support Channels	Email, Platform Chat, Phone, Contact Form, Telegram, and Social Media

2. Quotex

Best for: Both Experienced and Advanced Traders

Overview: Quotex was founded in 2019 in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It stands out for offering some of the highest payout ratios and providing some of the best free trading signals in the binary options space. Additionally, it offers a wide range of technical analysis tools, making it an ideal broker for experienced and advanced binary options traders looking to perform in-depth analysis and integrate advanced trading strategies.

Is Quotex legal in the UAE?

Yes, like Pocket Option, Quotex can be used in the UAE to trade binary options. That said, while it is also not explicitly banned by either the country’s SCA nor the DFSA, Quotex is likewise not formally regulated.

Key Facts:

Feature	Quotex
Accepts UAE Traders	Yes
Deposit Requirement	At least $10 (or the equivalent in AED)
Minimum Trade	As low as $1 (or the equivalent in AED) per trade
Minimum Withdrawal	At least $10 (or the equivalent in AED) per request
Payout Rate	20% to 93% depending on the asset
Support Channels	Email, Phone, Contact Form, Ticket,  Telegram, and Social Media

3. Binarium

Best for: Beginner/Inexperienced Traders

Overview: Binarium was founded in 2012 in Belize. It stands out for its low $5 minimum deposit (and withdrawal) as well as exceptional simplicity and intuitive UI, making it ideal for users new to trading (those with little to no experience in the financial markets). Furthermore, its trading platform, both on its PC and mobile version (available in Android), is user-friendly and easy to navigate, even for total beginners.

Is Binarium legal in the UAE?

Yes, Binarium follows Quotex and Pocket Option as one of the brokers that can be reliably accessed in the UAE. DFSA and SCA have also not specifically banned Binarium. That said, note that Binarium is also unregulated in the country.

Key Facts:

Feature	Binarium
Accepts UAE Traders	Yes
Deposit Requirement	At least $5 (or the equivalent in AED)
Minimum Trade	As low as $1 (or the equivalent in AED) per trade
Minimum Withdrawal	At least $5 (or the equivalent in AED) per request
Payout Rate	10% to 85% depending on the asset
Support Channels	Platform Chat, Email, Phone, Contact Form, Social Media, Help Center

How to Trade Binary Options in the United Arab Emirates:

The following are the five simple steps to start trading binary options in the UAE (including in Dubai):

• Pick a legal Binary Options platform in the UAE
• Sign up for a trading account
• Start with a demo account
• Deposit money and start live trading
• Funds withdrawal

Step 1: Pick a legal binary options broker or platform

First, you need to choose a broker or platform that offers binary options trading in the UAE. Among them, we highly recommend the above three brokers that stand out with their unique value propositions.

Step 2: Sign up for an account

The second step is to create or register for an account. To illustrate, here’s how you can create an account for Pocket Option in UAE:

First, go to Pocket Option’s official website at www.pocketoption.com. Afterward, click the “Sign Up” button to proceed.

Then, you will be redirected to create an account using your email address or choose to link your Facebook or Google account directly to sign up. Afterward, you will be directed to your newly created Pocket Option account and be able to explore its trading features. 

Step 3: Start with demo trading

The third step is to practice trading with your chosen broker’s demo account. This is especially important for beginner traders to better familiarize themselves with how binary options trading works. Likewise, even if you are an experienced trader, it’s still helpful to explore the broker’s various tools and offerings. To illustrate, here’s how to do it in Pocket Option: 

First, after signing up, look for the “QT Real” button in the upper right corner. “QT Real” stands for real/actual trading and the amount represents your deposited money in the platform. To enable demo trading, click this once, and a drop-down menu will appear. Then, select the “QT Demo” option to switch from live (real) trading to demo (practice) trading.

That’s it! You can now practice trading with $50,000 in demo capital and start testing different trading strategies before transitioning to live trading.

Step 4: Deposit money and start live Binary Options trading

After practicing in your demo account, you can transition to live Binary Options trading when you feel ready. To begin, you’ll first need to deposit funds into your broker account. To illustrate, below is the process and available deposit options for Pocket Option in the UAE:

First, on Pocket Option’s platform, click the “Top Up” button in the upper right corner, then select the “Choose another” option under “Payment method.”

You will then be redirected to Pocket Option’s deposit screen, where you can see its diverse offerings for users in the UAE. As shown, they are categorized into “Popular,” which are the deposit methods often used in the country, and “Cards” for Visa and Mastercard.

When you scroll down, you will also see the broker’s available electronic payment (e-payment) options in the UAE, as well as a wide range of cryptocurrencies you can use to make a deposit.

Step 5: Funds Withdrawal

Finally, the last step is withdrawing money (i.e., your capital and/or earnings) from the broker platform. To illustrate, here’s how you can withdraw in Pocket Option: 

On the Finance Tab, simply click the “Withdrawal” button located beside the “Deposit” button. Then, you can initiate your withdrawal request.

Can I trade Binary Options via an App in the UAE? 

Yes, in the UAE, you can conveniently trade binary options using the mobile app platforms of Pocket Option (available on both iOS and Android), Quotex (only available on Android), and Binarium (only available on Android). 

How do traders in the UAE make money in binary options trading?

For UAE traders, they can make money from binary options each time they make a correct price forecast. That said, remember that compared with other more mainstream asset classes such as stocks and forex, the payout in binary options is fixed per trade (up to 95% of your invested amount depending on the broker and specific binary option). 

In contrast, you stand to lose your entire invested amount (i.e., 100%) if your price forecast is incorrect. Hence, you need to have a trading “edge” that will enable you to win more than half of the time to have a positive expectancy on your trades.

What is the best Time to Trade Binary Options in the UAE?

As a rule of thumb, the best time to trade binary options is when both volume and volatility are at their highest. This tends to happen during major sessions overlap and during the first hours after the US market opens. With that said, depending on the binary options asset class, here are the corresponding local Gulf Standard Time (GST) equivalents:

Binary Options Asset Class	Best Time to Trade (in GST)
Forex Pairs	5:00 PM – 9:00 PM GST
Stocks and Indices	6:30 PM – 9:00 PM GST
Commodities (Gold and Oil)	5:00 PM – 9:00 PM GST

Do binary options brokers offer Arabic language support?

Yes, some brokers offer support for the Arabic language. To check a broker’s supported languages, go to its official website. Afterward, you will often find a flag icon (usually set to the US or UK flag by default, indicating “English”) representing the current language in use. Simply click this icon to reveal all the supported languages available on the platform.

How much do I need to start Trading Binary Options in the UAE?

While the minimum deposit requirement varies depending on your selected broker, most brokers available in the UAE require only $5 to $10 (or the equivalent in AED). Among our recommended brokers, you can start trading binary options with $5 on Pocket Option and Binarium, while you need $10 to start live trading with Quotex.

Can I open multiple Binary Options Accounts with different Brokers in the UAE?

Yes, you can open accounts with different binary options brokers in the UAE. However, note that most brokers do not allow multiple accounts with the same broker. Therefore, if you want to have multiple trading accounts, you would need to open each account with a different broker. For example, you can open one account with Pocket Option and one with Quotex, but not two accounts with the same broker.

What are the Deposit and Withdrawal methods for UAE Binary Traders?

a. Bank Card

• MasterCard
• Visa

b. E-payments

• Perfect Money
• WebMoney
• Payeer

c. Cryptocurrencies

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• USD Tether (USDT)
• USD Coin (USDC)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Ripple (XRP)
• Tron (TRX)
• Shiba Inu (SHIB)
• Binance Coin (BNB)
• Polkadot (DOT)

Can I use cryptocurrency to trade binary options in the UAE?

Yes, you can use cryptocurrencies as your payment method in the UAE because there are no restrictions. In fact, most binary trading brokers—including Pocket Option, Quotex, and Binarium—support a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD Coin (USDC), and Tether (USDT). 

What are the Taxes for Binary Trading in the UAE?

The UAE, with its favorable tax environment, does not impose either a personal income tax or a capital gains tax on individuals. Hence, any profits derived from your personal binary options trading activities are generally not taxed in the country.​

What are the secure alternatives for binary options trading in the UAE?

Since binary options trading in the UAE is unregulated, it is inherently riskier due to the absence of legal safeguards for traders in the country. Hence, if you’re looking for more secure alternatives, we recommend trading SCA-regulated asset classes such as stocks, forex, indices and commodities, instead. 

In stocks, you trade shares of publicly-listed companies. Meanwhile, in forex, you trade currency pairs; and with commodities, you trade basic commodities such as gold and oil.

Here are SCA-regulated brokers where you can trade all of these assets:

• ADS Securities
• CFI Financial
• Equiti
• ATFX
• MultiBank

How safe is Binary Trading in the UAE?

The safety of engaging in binary options trading in the UAE largely depends on the broker you choose. Ideally, if you use one of the three reliable brokers we recommend—Pocket Option, Quotex, or Binarium—trading binary options becomes relatively safe, as these brokers have established a solid reputation in the space. In contrast, because most binary options brokers are unregulated, using lesser-known platforms can seriously compromise the safety of your funds.

Conclusion: Binary Trading is Available in the UAE!

Yes, binary options trading is legal in the UAE (including Dubai). However, it’s crucial to ensure that the broker you choose can legally offer services in the country and maintains a high standard of brokerage, including accessible and reliable customer support channels. With that in mind, Pocket Option, Quotex, and Binarium are among the top binary options brokers to consider.