Is Pepperstone regulated in the UAE?
Verdict
- Partly: Pepperstone has two UAE-regulated companies, a DIFC firm regulated by the DFSA (F004356) and a Dubai LLC with a CMA licence (20200000358), but the CFDs UAE retail clients trade are issued by Pepperstone Markets Limited in the Bahamas (SCB, SIA-F217).
- The CMA licence is a Category 5 licence for arrangement and advice (introduction and financial consultation), not a licence to deal with retail clients.
- Retail clients are entitled to negative balance protection under Pepperstone's UAE risk disclosure, but no investor compensation scheme is named for UAE clients.
- We still rate Pepperstone our first choice in the UAE on costs, AED funding and platforms; if an onshore CMA-licensed counterparty matters most to you, look at Capital.com.
Pepperstone's UAE homepage says it is “licensed by the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA)”. That is true, but it is not the whole picture. Three different Pepperstone companies appear on the site, and the one you trade with is not in the UAE.
The short answer, and why we still recommend Pepperstone
Yes, Pepperstone is regulated in the UAE, by the DFSA in the DIFC and by the CMA onshore, but neither of those UAE companies is your counterparty for CFDs. Retail products are issued by its Bahamas company. That set-up is common among international brokers serving the Gulf, and Pepperstone is open about it in its footer and risk disclosure. On what you actually pay and how you fund, it remains the strongest of the firms we compare: Razor averages 0.1 pips on EUR/USD plus commission, you can hold AED, and deposits run through Mashreq Bank and Barclays.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The three Pepperstone companies on the UAE site
| Company | Regulator and licence | Role for UAE clients |
|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone Markets Limited (Nassau, Bahamas) | Securities Commission of The Bahamas, SIA-F217 | Product issuer: your CFD counterparty |
| Pepperstone Financial Services LLC (Emaar Square, Downtown Dubai) | UAE CMA, licence 20200000358 (Category 5) | Introduction and financial consultation; regulated marketing and advisory services |
| Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd | DFSA, F004356 | DIFC-regulated group company |
What the CMA Category 5 licence covers
Pepperstone's December 2025 announcement describes the licence as covering “Arrangement and Advice”, enabling regulated marketing, promotion and specific advisory and introduction services for professional clients and partners within the onshore regime. The UAE retail risk disclosure asks you to read it together with your client agreements with both Pepperstone Markets Limited and the Dubai LLC. In plain terms: the Dubai company can introduce and advise; the Bahamas company deals.
What this means for your money
- Negative balance protection: retail clients are entitled to it, per the UAE risk disclosure.
- Compensation: no scheme is named. Pepperstone's UAE protection page says segregated money is covered by requirements under Australia's Corporations Act 2001, as published.
- Leverage: Bahamas-entity rules apply, up to 1:200 on major FX and gold for retail clients, far above the 1:30 cap Pepperstone applies in the UK, EU and Australia.
- Disputes: your contract is with the Bahamas company, so its terms and regulator are your first route.
How Capital.com's UAE set-up differs
Capital.com lists Capital Com MENA Securities Trading L.L.C. in Dubai under CMA licence 20200000176 among its regulated entities, and offers UAE residents AED accounts, LEAN open-banking deposits and a swap-free account. If dealing with a CMA-licensed Dubai company and swap-free trading matter more to you than Pepperstone's published spreads, it is our second choice.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Sources
Pepperstone and Capital.com documents.
Is Pepperstone DFSA regulated?
Its DIFC company, Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd, is regulated by the DFSA under reference F004356. UAE retail CFDs are issued by the Bahamas company.
Is the SCA the same as the CMA?
Yes. The UAE's Securities and Commodities Authority is now called the Capital Market Authority; Pepperstone's documents use both names for the same licence.
Where is Pepperstone's Dubai office?
Pepperstone Financial Services LLC is at Emaar Square 3, Level 3, Unit 301-02, Downtown Dubai. The local phone number is +97144974199.
Leveraged CFDs are complex and carry a high risk of fast losses. Trade only with money you can afford to lose and only once you understand the product. We do not give investment advice, and broker-published terms quoted here may have changed since we checked them.