Qatar is a small but wealthy Arab country where Forex transactions are commonplace, as nearly 2.0M residents out of 2.3M are foreign workers and expatriates.
Qatar is the fourth-richest GDP-based country and presents a sought-after Forex market due to higher deposits and overall portfolio average size. Our Forex trading in Qatar review focused on identifying the most competitive brokers and offering tips on Forex trading in Qatar. Do you trade with the best broker for your trading requirements?
- Plus500, multi-asset and CFD broker.
- AvaTrade, Highly regulated, choice of fixed or floating spreads.
- FXTM, Best all-around broker with high floating leverage and fast execution.
- FP Markets, ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500.
Best Qatar Brokers Comparison
| | | | |
Regulators | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FMA, FSCA, MAS | ASIC, BVI, Central Bank of Ireland, FFAJ, FSCA, KNF, MiFID | CMA, CySEC, FCA, FSC Mauritius, FSCA | ASIC, CMA, CySEC, FSCA |
Year Established | 2008 | 2006 | 2011 | 2005 |
Execution Type(s) | Market Maker | Market Maker | ECN/STP, Market Maker | ECN/STP |
Minimum Deposit | ||||
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | 1.3 pips | 0.9 pips | 0.1 pips | 1.2 pips |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | 1.7 pips | 1.5 pips | 0.2 pips | 1.4 pips |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $0.34 | $0.29 | $0.18 | $0.16 |
Trading Platform(s) | Proprietary platform, Web-based | Other, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform, Web-based+ | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Proprietary platform, Web-based |
Islamic Account | ||||
Negative Balance Protection | N/A | |||
Get Started Visit Website80% of retail CFD accounts lose money | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website |
Plus500
In Summary multi-asset and CFD brokerPlus500 ranks high on our Forex trading Qatar list as it provides a well-balanced asset selection, which includes options and cryptocurrency trading, from its user-friendly, proprietary, web-based trading platform. An invite-only premium service for qualifying traders exists. The commission-free pricing environment starts with spreads from 0.6 pips or $6.00 per 1.0 standard round lot, ensuring traders get competitive trading fees, which increases profitability.
A swap-free Islamic account is available per request, and Plus500 offers 24/7 customer support to process customer queries swiftly. Traders can use a fee-based guaranteed stop loss order, applicable on select assets, but this means a widening of the initial spread.
Pros & Cons
- Broad asset selection in equities and options
- Free and unlimited demo account
- Advanced free-of-charge analytical trading tools
- Global and regulated fintech platform
- Sub-standard trading platform without support for automated or social trading
AvaTrade
In Summary Highly regulated, choice of fixed or floating spreadsAvaTrade offers an excellent choice of available trading platforms and a well-balanced asset selection in its reasonably priced commission-free cost structure. Traders can use MT4 or MT5, which AvaTrade upgrades with its Guardian Angel plugin. Both platforms support algorithmic trading, where MT4 remains the industry leader and have integrated copy trading services. Manual traders can use the user-friendly WebTrader, and AvaTradeGO presents a quality choice for mobile traders.
Options traders get the proprietary AvaOptions platform, and Ava Social and DupliTrade cater to copy traders. A swap-free Islamic account is also available, all-important factors placing AvaTrade high on our Forex trading Qatar ranking.
Pros & Cons
- High quality educational offering via AvaAcademy
- Excellent choice of trading platforms catering to various trading needs
- Broad asset selection and cross-asset diversification opportunities
- Well-regulated and trusted broker with oversight from a central bank
- Trading costs competitive but nothing special
FXTM
In Summary Best all-around broker with high floating leverage and fast executionFXTM provides Muslim traders with swap-free accounts, and it is transparent about potential fees incurred if traders hold multiple leveraged positions overnight and exceed the swap-free day allowance. It makes FXTM one of the most transparent brokers in our Forex trading Qatar review. It is also among the cheapest Forex brokers industry-wide with its Advantage account, where traders get raw spreads from 0.0 pips with trade ticket fee commissions between $0.80 and $4.00 per 1.0 standard round lot.
Traders get the MT4/MT5 trading platforms, where FXTM upgrades MT4 with its Pivot Point Strategy plugin, and mobile traders can use the FXTM Trader app.
Pros & Cons
- Excellent commission-based Forex pricing environment and transparency
- Upgraded MT4/MT5 trading platforms plus proprietary mobile trading app
- Quality market research and educational content for beginner traders
- A highly regulated broker with a tier-1 license
- No cryptocurrencies and limited choice of commodities
FP Markets
In Summary ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500Traders at FP Markets can benefit from a 12-plugin upgrade for MT4/MT5 plus Autochartist and Trading Central. FP Markets also offers cTrader, ensuring traders have a choice of preferred algorithmic trading platforms with integrated copy trading services. The MAM/PAMM module supports traditional account management services, and copy traders can try the proprietary FP Markets Social Trading solution, Myfxbook Autotrade, or subscription-based Signal Start.
FP Markets offers swap-free Islamic accounts on request, which requires a check by the onboarding team to ensure non-Muslim traders do not abuse the swap-free offer, for these reasons we have included this competitively priced broker on our Forex trading in Qatar list.
Pros & Cons
- Choice of trading platforms and auxiliary trading tools
- Very competitive cost structure and excellent asset selection
- Low minimum deposit requirement and leverage of up to 1:500
- Well-regulated and trustworthy
- Availability of Iress geographically restricted
Forex Trading in Qatar
Forex trading in Qatar continues to gain popularity in the retail sector. Most Qatari residents engage in Forex transactions out of necessity, with 85%+ of the population foreign nationals and tourism a strategically important pillar of the economy. The local currency, the Qatari Riyal QAR, has a fixed exchange rate to the US Dollar at 3.64. Our Forex trading Qatar review determined traditional asset management services as a core Forex strategy, followed by automated trading and copy trading using mobile apps, where many Qatari Forex traders become signal providers.
Is Forex Trading Legal in Qatar?
Yes. Forex trading is legal in Qatar. Qatar has three financial regulators and a lenient approach to offshore brokers. Qatar does not require international Forex brokers to obtain a license in Qatar if they maintain regulation in their home jurisdictions, and there are no restrictions on Qatari Forex traders opening and funding offshore Forex accounts.
How to Trade Forex in Qatar
Forex trading in Qatar follows the same principles as Forex trading elsewhere. It begins with in-depth education, laying the foundation for success as a Forex trader. Beginners should focus on mastering trading psychology, which can take years of live trading experience to manage profits, losses, fear, greed, stress, and handle performance pressure.
Here are more Forex tips from our Forex trading Qatar analysis:
- Understand the relationship between leverage and risk management.
- Trade with sufficient trading capital
- Have realistic profit expectations.
- Respect Forex trading as the high-skilled profession it is.
- Trade from a quiet and clean place
- Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly to increase your mental strength.
What to Look for in a Forex Broker in Qatar
Individual requirements will differ among Qatari Forex traders and their needs based on which strategies they want to execute, but all Forex brokers should share core characteristics.
Our Forex trading Qatar review determined that Qatari Forex traders should ensure their Forex broker offers:
- A well-regulated trading environment with a spotless operational record exceeding 10+ years
- A swap-free Islamic account without hidden fees
- A website in Arabic
- Low trading fees and fast order execution
- A trading platform supportive of algorithmic and copy trading
- A choice of payment processors
How to Verify if a Forex Broker is Regulated in Qatar
Qatar has a lenient approach to offshore Forex brokers and does not have domestic online retail margin brokers. Banks oversee most Forex trading volumes, but the Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) regulates brokers. Qatari Forex traders can check the license number of Forex brokers claiming QFMA oversight with the QFMA database.
Our Forex trading Qatar review highlighted offshore brokers with well-regulated trading environments, and Qatari Forex traders can check each license with the corresponding regulator to confirm its validity. All brokers on our Forex trading Qatar list are regulated and maintain good operational records.
Is Forex Trading Taxable in Qatar?
Our Forex trading Qatar review revealed that Forex trading income made by individuals remains tax-free, but Qatari-resident Forex traders should ideally consult with a licensed legal professional for clarity on taxes as it may vary on an individual level. Qatar has a 10% capital gain tax rate on all net income, which only applies to legal entities, taxed together with corporate taxes. Income taxes do not exist, and Qatar operates an overall tax-efficient, effective, and small state economy making it attractive particularly for high earners. Despite the apparent tax rules, Qatari Forex traders will get clarity after talking with tax and legal professionals based and licensed in Qatar.
Bottom Line
Forex trading in Qatar continues to expand, and Qatar is a high-growth market for offshore brokers, driven by above-average deposits and comparatively large portfolios. Our Forex trading Qatar analysis revealed traditional account management, algorithmic trading, and copy trading as primary Forex strategies most popular with local traders.
Qatari Forex traders are well-educated and seek innovative trading solutions and products. Despite having three financial regulators, international Forex brokers cater to most domestic retail traders, as they present competitive advantages against services from leading domestic banks. Many offshore brokers offer their services in Arabic, including customer support and swap-free Islamic accounts.
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