ADSS is a MENA broker founded in 2011. Headquartered in the UAE with an office in London, the broker serves clients from the MENA region and beyond. It is authorised and regulated by the SCA in the UAE and the FCA in the UK. Being a specialist in the MENA region – particularly within GCC countries – ADSS is somewhat unique in the investment landscape in its diverse offering of GCC shares and its benefits for local investors.
In this review of ADSS, we aim to examine the broker’s platform offering, account types and tiers, and trading platform options. If you are an investor located in the MENA region, you may be interested to learn more. Read on.
Product offering – ADS
In terms of the diversity of product offering, ADSS is a good candidate for brokers that offer a well-rounded collection for ease of portfolio diversification. There are four main asset classes that ADSS offers: commodities, forex, equities, and indices. Leverage varies, but the broker does not charge commissions for any trades executed, which is a huge advantage for high-frequency traders.
Commodities
Traders can trade a variety of commodity CFDs with ADSS, including precious and industrial metals (gold, silver, copper, and platinum), energy products (gas oil, heating oil, UK and US crude), and agricultural products such as coffee. Commodities are traded per whole tick. There are no commissions charged for trade execution, and leverage of up to 200:1.
Forex
ADSS offers more than 60 currency pairs for traders to choose from, and trader can execute spot forex trades and trade forex CFDs. Major, minor, and exotic currency pairs such as USD MXN, USD HKD, and EUR SEK are available. Leverage of up to 500:1 can be used by traders of any live account tier, and no commissions are charged for forex trade execution.
Equities
As a MENA-centric broker, we find that ADSS leads in their offering of regional equities available for trading. They include big names such as Al-Rajhi Bank, Gulf Insurance, Riyad Bank, and NAMA Chemicals. For those who want to diversify their portfolios with global equities, the broker also offers plenty of US, UK, continental European, and Asian shares, including the most popular stocks in the industry such as Apple, Amazon, Tesla, Netflix, and Microsoft. Leverage of up to 20:1 can be used, and no commissions are charged for trade execution.
Indices
Finally, traders can participate in index trading with ADSS and speculate on the price movements of major indices such as the FTSE 100, the US 30, US Tech 100, the Nikkei 225, the Hang Seng Index, and more. Traders can use leverage of up to 333:1 when speculating on indices, and they can take advantage of tight spreads. No commissions are charged for trade execution.
Account types and tiers
ADSS offers a demo account and a live account, the latter of which is divided into three tiers.
The demo account is straightforward, in our opinion, as most demo accounts tend to be. Traders can access paper trading via MT4, and they can place CFD trades with 50,000 USD of virtual money. This amount of virtual funds can be reset at any time, upon request. Traders, despite not being live, can experience live spreads and prices, and demo accounts do not require credit card details at sign up.
For live traders, ADSS provides three tiers of live accounts: Classic, Elite, and Elite+.
Classic account holders can begin trading with a minimum deposit requirement of 100 USD. This low barrier to entry is a great way for traders with less experience to get started in the financial markets, as they can still access ADSS’ full market offering and low spreads. They can also use leverage when trading, but many would caution against it, particularly if one is just starting out trading.
For traders with more experience, the Elite and Elite+ accounts may be suitable. They begin with minimum deposit requirements of 100,000 USD and 250,000 USD respectively, and Elite account holders access 25% lower spreads while Elite+ account holders access even lower spreads. Both receive the expertise of a dedicated senior manager who can oversee their portfolios, while the Elite+ trader receives the help of a sales trader as well.
Account holders of both Elitetiers also have access to the broker’s + Elite events, which are exclusive events not available to Classic traders. Finally, a multi-base currency account is permitted for both, which can aid in the process of forex trading for those who wish to diversify their portfolios.
Trading platform options
There are two trading platforms that ADSS offers – their own, and MT4 by MetaQuotes.
The ADSS platform is available on mobile and on desktop, and traders are able to switch between the two rather seamlessly. Of course, it does depend on one’s Internet connection – how stable it is – to make the switch without interruptions, which is something to keep in mind. Overall, the broker has put in effort in making their interface intuitive and accessible, and from experience, the platform updates dynamically. The longer one spends on the platform, the more it adapts to one’s needs and preferences, which is a bonus for those who wish for the ability to fully customise their trading experience. The ADSS platform is only available for live account holders.
Alternatively, live account holders can use MT4 to place trades, accessing ADSS’ full product offering on this third-party platform and trading with the broker’s spreads and network speed. MT4 is also available for demo traders who want to hone their skills, and demo account holders too receive access to the full range of the broker’s instrument offering.
Unique benefits for local traders
ADSS is headquartered in the UAE, and it offers some benefits when it comes to account opening for local (UAE) citizens. For one, the broker permits the use of UAEPass to verify identity and personal information when opening a live account, so UAE citizens can go paperless. Digital documentation speeds up the sign-up process, and it also makes it much easier for traders to submit the right documents. For those who wish to open a live account the traditional way, it is also accepted by ADSS.
Final words
ADSS has been the leading MENA broker for a few years, and it is poised to remain so with its generous offering of regional shares. For those who are located internationally but would like to participate in trading the best of what the MENA region has to offer, they can also create a live account with the broker and start trading.