What leverage does Pepperstone offer in the UAE?
Verdict
- Pepperstone offers UAE retail clients leverage of up to 1:200 on major and minor currency pairs, gold and major indices, 1:20 on energies, shares and BTC/USD or ETH/USD, and 1:10 on other metals.
- Professional clients can reach 1:500 on currencies, gold, major indices and BTC/USD or ETH/USD, but give up full negative balance protection.
- That is far above Pepperstone's 1:30 retail cap in the UK, EU and Australia, because UAE retail CFDs are issued by its Bahamas company.
- Capital.com's Dubai company publishes higher retail caps still (300:1 on FX, 500:1 on 15 listed majors), and XS advertises up to 1:2000 dynamic leverage on its global site.
Leverage on Pepperstone's UAE site follows the rules of the company that issues your CFDs, Pepperstone Markets Limited in the Bahamas, not the tighter caps of its UK or Australian entities. Here is the full table, what it means in margin, and how to qualify for more.
Up to 1:200 for UAE retail clients
On major currency pairs, 1:200 means you need 0.5% of a position's value as margin. That is enough flexibility for most strategies, and Pepperstone pairs it with negative balance protection for retail clients, so high leverage cannot leave you owing money. Combined with Razor's 0.1-pip EUR/USD average and AED funding, this is why Pepperstone is our first choice in the UAE; just remember that the maximum is a ceiling, not a recommended setting.
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Pepperstone UAE leverage by asset class
| Asset class | Retail | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| FX majors and minors | 1:200 | 1:500 |
| FX NDFs | 1:10 | 1:10 |
| Major indices | 1:200 | 1:500 |
| Minor indices | 1:100 | 1:100 |
| Currency indices | 1:200 | 1:100 |
| Gold | 1:200 | 1:500 |
| Other metals | 1:10 | 1:50 |
| Energies | 1:20 | 1:20 |
| Soft commodities | 1:50 | 1:50 |
| BTC/USD and ETH/USD | 1:20 | 1:500 |
| Other crypto | 1:2 | 1:2 |
| Shares and ETFs | 1:20 | 1:20 |
Margin in practice
Take one standard lot of EUR/USD with the pair at an assumed 1.1000, about $110,000 of exposure:
- Retail at 1:200: about $550 of margin.
- Pro at 1:500: about $220 of margin.
- For comparison, at the 1:30 cap Pepperstone applies to UK and EU retail clients: about $3,667.
- Whatever the margin, a 20-pip move is still worth $200 on this size. Leverage changes how much you must put up, not how much you can lose per pip.
Qualifying for Pro leverage
Pepperstone's UAE Pro page reuses its Australian criteria: either a sophisticated-investor route (including at least a year in a professional FX or CFD trading role) with a knowledge quiz, or a wholesale-client route under Australia's Corporations Act with a qualified accountant's certificate. No UAE-specific test is published. The trade-off is protection: Pro clients may receive only a one-time negative balance protection of up to USD 100,000.
How other UAE options compare
- Capital.com (CMA-licensed Dubai company): retail FX 300:1, rising to 500:1 on 15 listed majors; indices 300:1; commodities 200:1 (500:1 on gold and crude); shares 20:1; crypto 100:1.
- XS: up to 1:2000 with dynamic leverage on its global site, which does not name the entity; margin call at 40% and stop-out at 20%.
- Higher caps are not an advantage in themselves. The more leverage you use, the less room a trade has before a margin call.
Sources
Published leverage tables.
Can I choose lower leverage at Pepperstone?
Whatever the account's maximum, you control effective leverage through position size. Trading smaller relative to your balance is the simplest way to lower it.
Why is leverage higher in the UAE than in the UK?
UAE retail CFDs are issued by Pepperstone Markets Limited, regulated in the Bahamas, whose caps are higher than the 1:30 limit Pepperstone applies under FCA, CySEC, BaFin and ASIC rules.
What leverage applies to crypto CFDs?
For UAE retail clients, up to 1:20 on BTC/USD and ETH/USD and 1:2 on other coins.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. This page is not investment advice; broker terms change, so check them on the broker's own site before you open an account.