Can you trade Perpetual CFDs with Pepperstone in the UAE? Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.Our experts have rated Can you trade Perpetual CFDs with Pepperstone in the UAE? across five key areas of our review framework.
- Pricing4.5
- Market Access4.0
- App & Platform4.0
- Customer Service4.5
- Research & Analysis4.0
Pros
- 24/7 trading, including weekends and holidays
- No contract expiry or futures rollover
- Weekly funding rates published in advance
- Access through established platforms including TradingView, MT5 and cTrader
- Pepperstone has a physical presence in Dubai
Cons
- Smaller market range than Pepperstone's standard CFD offering
- No ownership of the underlying asset
- Proprietary OTC products rather than exchange-traded contracts
- Daily funding costs can make longer-term positions expensive
- Leveraged CFDs are high-risk products
See full expert review
Our verdict
Pepperstone is a global forex and CFD broker that was founded in Melbourne in 2010 and has since expanded internationally, including into the UAE.
For UAE traders, Pepperstone Financial Services LLC is based at Emaar Square in Downtown Dubai and is regulated in the UAE for Introduction and Financial Consultation. Under Pepperstone's UAE arrangement, it introduces and arranges accounts with Pepperstone Markets Limited, the product issuer, which is regulated by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas.
One of the more interesting additions to Pepperstone's UAE offering is perpetual CFDs. These leveraged derivatives allow traders to speculate on the price of selected stocks, indices and commodities without owning the underlying asset. Unlike conventional futures contracts, perpetual CFDs don't expire and Pepperstone makes them available for trading 24/7, including at weekends.
What are Pepperstone perpetual CFDs?
Pepperstone's perpetual CFDs are derivative contracts that track perpetual markets rather than giving you ownership of the underlying investment.
You can go long if you think the market will rise or short if you expect it to fall. There is no fixed expiry date, so positions can theoretically remain open indefinitely, provided you maintain sufficient margin.
Instead of a conventional overnight financing arrangement, Pepperstone sets a funding rate weekly in advance and applies it daily. This makes the cost of keeping a position open more predictable.
For UAE-based traders, one of the biggest attractions is 24/7 access. This means markets can be traded during UAE evenings and weekends rather than being restricted to the normal opening hours of US, European or Asian exchanges.
Pricing
Pepperstone's perpetual CFDs are proprietary OTC derivatives, so pricing is set by Pepperstone rather than on a central exchange.
When we tested the product, spreads were relatively tight on several of the markets we looked at. However, traders should consider both the bid-offer spread and the daily funding charge when comparing the overall cost with conventional CFDs or exchange-traded futures.
The funding rate is fixed weekly in advance and applied daily, which gives traders greater visibility over the potential cost of maintaining a position.
Market Access
Pepperstone's perpetual CFD range is still relatively narrow compared with its broader CFD offering, but the available markets focus on some particularly topical areas.
The range includes stocks, major equity indices and commodities such as gold and oil. There are also less conventional markets designed to give traders exposure to current investment themes, including technology and robotics.
For UAE traders, the combination of oil, gold, US markets and Asian technology stocks is potentially useful because these markets can react significantly to geopolitical and macroeconomic developments outside conventional trading hours.
The main attraction, however, is that perpetual CFDs can be traded 24/7, including weekends and public holidays.
App and platforms
Pepperstone offers a strong selection of trading platforms to UAE customers, including TradingView, MT5, cTrader and Pepperstone's own web platform and mobile app.
Perpetual CFDs can be accessed through Pepperstone's existing trading infrastructure, so you don't need a separate crypto wallet or specialist perpetual futures account.
The best platform will depend on whether you prioritise charting, order management, automation or ease of use. TradingView is particularly strong for charting, while MT5 and cTrader provide more advanced functionality for active traders.
Customer Service
Pepperstone has a local presence in Dubai, with Pepperstone Financial Services LLC based at Emaar Square 3 in Downtown Dubai.
In this review, I contacted Pepperstone using its customer support email. The response wasn't instantaneous, but I received the information I needed and found the service polite and helpful.
Pepperstone also advertises customer support 24 hours a day Monday to Friday and 18 hours a day at weekends, which is particularly relevant given that perpetual CFDs themselves trade 24/7.
Added Value and Research
Pepperstone provides a substantial amount of educational and market content through its UAE website, including trading guides, market analysis, webinars and educational material.
There are also specific guides explaining how perpetual CFDs work, their funding arrangements and how they differ from standard CFDs and conventional futures.
This is useful because perpetual CFDs are relatively new products for many UAE retail traders and have some important differences from the standard CFDs they may already be familiar with.
Regulation and Client Safety
UAE traders should pay particular attention to which Pepperstone entity they are dealing with.
Pepperstone Financial Services LLC is registered at Emaar Square 3, Downtown Dubai and operates in the UAE for Introduction and Financial Consultation. Pepperstone states that this entity introduces and arranges the opening of accounts with Pepperstone Markets Limited.
Pepperstone Markets Limited is based in The Bahamas and is regulated by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas under licence SIA-F217. Pepperstone also has a separate DIFC entity, Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Ltd, regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
As CFDs are leveraged derivatives, losses can occur quickly and traders do not own the underlying shares, commodities or other assets.
For traders in the UAE, Pepperstone offers access to perpetual CFDs, which allow you to speculate on the price of a range of global markets without owning the underlying asset.
These contracts can be used to go long or short and, unlike traditional futures contracts, they do not have a fixed expiry date. They can also be traded 24/7, making them particularly useful for UAE-based traders who want access to international markets outside conventional US, European and Asian trading hours.
Markets available through Pepperstone’s perpetual CFDs include major US stock indices, gold, oil and a selection of individual shares, including technology and Asian stocks.
As leveraged derivatives, perpetual CFDs can magnify both profits and losses. Positions are cash-settled and there are ongoing funding charges for keeping trades open, so they are primarily designed for active trading rather than long-term investing.
Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
Richard’s contributions and expertise have been recognized by respected publications such as The Sunday Times, BusinessInsider, Yahoo Finance, BusinessNews.org.uk, Master Investor, Wealth Briefing, iNews, and The FT, among many others.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Good Money Guide has evolved into a valuable destination for comprehensive information and expert guidance, specialising in trading, investment, and currency exchange. His commitment to delivering high-quality insights has solidified the Good Money Guide’s standing as a well-respected resource for both customers and industry colleagues.