How to Start a Local Securities Brokerage Business with Meydan Free Zone

By the end of 2025, the exchange-traded funds listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange were worth AED 33 billion between them. A decade ago, that segment barely existed.

UAE exchanges today list far more than company shares: index funds, real estate trusts, listed derivatives, and Shariah-compliant products all trade alongside them, and local securities brokerage is the activity that connects clients to the full range.

The exchange-traded funds market across the Middle East and Africa reached USD 22.08 billion by May 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 28.68 billion by 2030, according to Standard Chartered^¹. On the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange alone, ETF market capitalisation climbed to AED 33 billion by the close of 2025, according to Policybazaar^².

The growth runs in parallel with rising listed product variety: UAE exchanges now host equity and bond ETFs, real estate investment trusts, derivatives, green bonds, and a deep roster of Shariah-compliant instruments.

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A Local Market That Is No Longer Just Shares

‍The instruments listed on UAE exchanges have multiplied. What was once a market of company stocks now carries funds, trusts, and derivatives, and the brokers who serve it have a far wider product set to work with.

Sources: Standard Chartered (2025); Policybazaar (2026).

The demand is broadening, not just growing. UAE investors are no longer only buying company shares; they want index funds for diversification, real estate trusts for property income, and Shariah-compliant instruments that match their principles.

The buyer base is widening alongside the product set: a large and growing resident population, retail investors entering the market for the first time, institutional treasuries and asset managers tracking local indices, and family offices building multi-instrument portfolios. The exchange-traded fund segment alone grew into a multi-billion dirham market in only a few years^².

Most order flow still routes through a small cluster of bank-affiliated brokers, leaving the specialist and multi-instrument execution layer with real room to grow.

From index funds and real estate trusts to listed derivatives and Shariah-compliant products, the UAE local securities market rewards brokers built to serve a widening instrument range.

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Who is this for?

• Multi-instrument securities brokers: Firms executing client orders across the full range of UAE-listed securities, including shares, exchange-traded funds, listed funds, and real estate investment trusts.
• ETF and index product brokers: Brokers focused on connecting clients to UAE-listed exchange-traded funds and index products tracking local and regional benchmarks.
• Shariah-compliant securities brokers: Operators executing client orders in Shariah-compliant listed instruments, serving Islamic investors, funds, and institutions seeking compliant local exposure.

Meydan Free Zone offers 100% foreign ownership, zero percent corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process, providing a regulated and cost-efficient base from which to operate as a securities broker on the UAE's growing local exchanges.

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6612.99 - Brokerage in Local Securities

Under this activity, you are licensed to execute buy and sell orders across the range of securities listed on UAE exchanges, on behalf of clients. The activity covers locally listed equities, exchange-traded funds, listed investment funds, real estate investment trusts, listed derivatives, and Shariah-compliant instruments.

The broker is the regulated intermediary connecting clients with UAE exchanges, earning commissions and execution fees, not dealing on its own account.

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There are clear boundaries on this activity. Local securities brokerage does not cover dealing in securities on own account, which falls under a separate financial intermediation classification. It excludes portfolio management on a fee or contract basis. It also excludes brokerage in commodities and currencies, and brokerage in securities listed on foreign markets, each of which is licensed separately. 

The line is precise. If your business executes client orders in securities listed on UAE exchanges, you are in. If you deal with your own book, manage discretionary portfolios, or broker foreign-listed securities, commodities, or currencies, you are not.

Third-Party Approval: Pre-approval from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) is required before the trade license is issued.

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance: This business activity is exempt from UAE Anti-Money Laundering compliance requirements.

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Footnotes

¹ Standard Chartered. Your Guide to Investing in Exchange-Traded Funds in the UAE. Standard Chartered, 2025.

² Policybazaar. Exchange Traded Funds: Meaning, Best ETFs 2026 and How to Invest from UAE. Policybazaar, 2026.