Online trading in Qatar: market review and top FX and CFD brokers

Qatar is a country in Western Asia. Despite its desert climate, the country is rich in oil and gas deposits, holding a competitive advantage derived from its stable foundation of an effective institutional framework, a stable economic environment, and an active commodity market. With the aid of government-led economic policies, Qatar has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The country has one of the highest per capita income levels in the world and in terms of human development, Qatar is also considered one of the most advanced Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Qatar’s economy is centered around oil and natural gas, which account for over 70% of government revenue, 60% of GDP, and approximately 85% of export earnings. In order to diversify the economy, which is heavily reliant on the oil and gas industries, the government is investing heavily in alternative sectors such as tourism, industry, and agriculture. Qatar’s hospitality sector has great potential for growth as the Government of Qatar has invested in this sector as an alternative source of income. 

Qatar is also one of the largest helium producers with large production plants with a capacity of up to 20 million cubic meters per year. It is estimated that Qatar currently produces one-third of the current global demand for helium.

In December 2010, Qatar was elected as the host country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Competitors of Qatar were Australia, the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan. This will be the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East. It is estimated that Qatar has spent more than $200 billion on hosting the World Cup, which will be the most expensive World Cup in history. The money isn’t only used to build stadiums and training centers, the entire infrastructure for sports costs about $10 billion. The rest is invested in new roads, rail lines, hospitals, an airport, and even a new city that will host the World Cup final. A major and the most expensive project of the 2022 World Cup is Lusail, a city located 20 kilometers away from Doha in the desert, where the opening match and final will take place.

Forex market and online trading in Qatar

Even though Qatar is a relatively small nation, it is a major player in Forex trading. The local population is financially secure and has a high standard of living, and an increasing number of residents are eager to explore the foreign exchange markets.

It is estimated that around 300,000 Qataris trade Forex. The Qatari riyal (QAR) is the national currency of Qatar pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate of 3.64 rials for 1 dollar. This binding was officially introduced back in July 2001.

Trading in the Forex markets is completely legal by Qatari law. In addition, the country has taken a rather welcoming stance towards internationally regulated brokers who’d like to operate in Qatar. 

Forex companies that serve Qatari clients are licensed and supervised by leading industry regulators. Prominent examples include the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and the International Financial Services Commission (IFSC). Brokers licensed in these jurisdictions offer favorable trading conditions to their Qatari clients. They take all necessary measures to protect customers and their money.

XM Group holds a high level of credibility among traders from all over the world since it is governed by four financial regulators: FCA, ASIC, CySEC, and IFSC. The broker provides access to the foreign exchange market, stock CFDs, equity indices, oil, and gold on the MT4 and MT5 platforms. With XM Group you can trade all major currency pairs with a tight spread starting with 0.6 pips.

More than 55 currency pairs and CFDs for precious metals, energy carriers, stock indices, and stocks are offered for trading. Additionally, the broker offers a 100% automatic entry Forex bonus of up to $5000.

Online commodities trading in Qatar

Raw materials are the fuel that powers economies around the world. There are a number of different commodities that are traded on the market such as energy – natural gas and crude oil; metals – gold, silver, platinum, and copper; agricultural commodities – corn, soybeans, cocoa, coffee, cotton, and sugar.

Gold trading in Qatar

The primary reason for the popularity of gold trading is its long-standing reputation as a highly sought-after metal. A few reasons make gold a desirable market for traders. In times of financial turmoil, it is considered a “safe haven” investment. It has a wide variety of industrial applications, including electronics, computing, and jewelry manufacturing. In high-inflation scenarios, it performs well, making it an excellent hedging tool. It is one of the few assets that are highly volatile. You can achieve excellent financial results by trading this asset. By knowing the factors affecting gold’s price and tracking them correctly, you can trade with minimum risk. 

Selecting the right platform is also crucial at the beginning. Based on how profitable and effective the platform is, your further activities will depend on its functionality. It is true that there are a huge number of platforms with the richest functionality, a wide range of tools and the ability to track price fluctuations. Make the decision after weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

HF Markets (previously known as HotForex in the region) is a well-known Forex broker in the financial sector, whose services are used by traders from all over the world. The forex broker offers a wide range of platforms and technical tools, several types of accounts, an interesting bonus program up to $5000 on your first deposit, cash rebates up to $8000, a copy trading tool, and much more. Forex Gold trading on HF Markets is characterized by low transaction costs and flexible leverage. In terms of regulation, HF Markets holds licenses from various regulators, including DIFC (Dubai), FCA (UK), CySEC (Europe), FSCA (South Africa), and SFSA (Seychelles).

Oil and gas trading in Qatar

Qatar continues exploring new oil deposits. The proven oil reserves in Qatar are 2.8 billion tons, which is 2% of world reserves. Qatar was the 15th largest producer of crude oil in the world according to the Statistical Review of World Energy 2021 with rising oil prices, offshore oil, and gas exploration is expected to be continued. 

Qatar is also the largest supplier of natural gas in the world. According to the Oil and Gas Journal, Qatar’s natural gas reserves are approximately 273 trillion cubic meters, which means that the country contains approximately 14% of the world’s known natural gas reserves and has the third-largest reserves after Iran and Russia. Qatar is currently the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in the world. While domestic demand for natural gas is growing, the bulk of production is destined for LNG exports.

Qatar is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and as such, exports a significant amount of oil. Although Qatar is a member of OPEC and produces quite large volumes of oil, in recent times, the government of the country has devoted more resources to the development of the gas industry, especially to the export of LNG. Qatar has overtaken Indonesia to become the world’s largest LNG exporter. Qatar is the smallest oil producer in OPEC, at the same time it remains a fairly serious supplier of oil to the world market.

Trading oil is no different from trading currencies and stocks, as it is also subject to Fundamental analysis and Technical analysis. There are several external factors that can seriously impact its price: 

• Levels of oil deposits in the region and the potential for their depletion in the near future. Information about the amount of oil reserves is periodically reported in the media, which can radically change the current course;  
• Agreements between countries, as well as associations of oil producers. Because processing and distribution require money, the higher the price, the less profitable it is for the producer, and the more expensive, and therefore less competitive, the final product is;
• Growth rates of the world economies;
• New technologies;
• Emergency situations such as fires on platforms and factories, storms, military conflicts, sanctions on the export/import of oil, and others.

Trading oil and gas does not require large financial investments. Market volatility is quite high, so oil trading can generate profits during periods of strong market movement, which occurs quite often. When you are first exploring the market, you may find it challenging to grasp the nuances of oil trading, since the “black gold” quotes are too dependent on many events, moreover, these events are not always connected to the economy. In order to successfully trade oil and make a profit, you must understand the market mood and the geopolitical situation in the world. We recommend you to pay attention to Copy trading since it is an automated tool that is much less demanding for your time comparing to trading on your own: you can trade and learn about the market at the same time, chat with a trader whose signals you are copying, or replicate transactions of several traders at the same time, allowing you to diversify risks.

eToro is certainly the top name in social trading as it is the world’s first social trading platform that allows any user to copy the actions of successful traders and discuss trading strategies with them, learn from their experiences, and share their own. eToro’s clients take advantage of the collective intelligence fueled by an extensive network of traders to reach their financial goals with the help of the social trading platform. 

On eToro, traders have access to hundreds of financial assets. All instruments traded on eToro fall into six categories: stocks, Cryptocurrencies, commodities, currencies, indices, and ETFs. In addition to wide opportunities and favorable conditions, eToro users rightly appreciate the security of a trading broker: you can track the movement of funds at every stage of a trading operation.

CFD trading in Qatar

Trading CFDs has become a popular investment style both in Qatar and worldwide. The CFD stands for ‘contract for difference’ and refers to the exchange of the difference between the purchase and sale price of an asset between two parties.

CFD trading in Qatar allows you to profit from the price movement of underlying assets. As a derivative instrument, you don’t acquire ownership of the asset.

Margin or leverage is one of the key advantages of CFD trading in Qatar. In this manner, traders will only have to put up a fraction of the value of the trade. CFD trading in Qatar allows you to speculate on a variety of markets, such as commodities, shares, indices, futures, ETFs, etc.

OANDA is an all-around Forex financial services broker. The company focuses on the safe operation of customers, as evidenced by the presence of licenses from 5 of the most credible global regulators. As a CFD broker, OANDA offers quite a lot of contract options, as the list of financial instruments includes: CFDs on indices — 16; CFD on goods – 31; CFDs on bonds – 6.

Benefits of trading CFDs with OANDA:

• No minimum commission, and margins as low as 5%
• Available using the MT5 platform or app or OANDA award-winning fxTrade app
• Globally regulated broker for over 25 years
• Award-winning mobile app
• Great customer service

With OANDA, you can get a Forex bonus of up to $1000 on your first deposit. All you need to do is to set up a new live account and top it up with a minimum of $25 or equivalent in another accepted currency). 

Islamic account Forex trading in Qatar

In the Islamic religion, riba (interest) is viewed as a means of exploiting the poor and increasing the wealth of those who are already wealthy. Currency is considered only as a means of exchange and has no intrinsic value as money alone can’t increase profits. Taking into consideration Islamic finance principles, the best brokerages offer Qatari clients a variety of swap-free Islamic accounts, which means traders do not pay or receive interest on overnight positions.

In addition, all monetary transactions are processed instantly on Sharia-compliant accounts. The same applies to costs associated with transactions.

AvaTrade offers a complete Islamic trading account that fully adheres to Islamic rules. Islamic trading account holders will not be charged daily swap fees. The swap fees are converted into daily administration fees on all Forex trading products within the MT4 platform. You can trade on a wide range of currency pairs with AvaTrade, such as EUR/USD, as well as indices, bonds, ETFs, stocks, and commodities. With AvaTrade, you get a solid, secure product, which respects your principles and complies with Islamic laws.

Cryptocurrency trading in Qatar

Cryptocurrencies are becoming more and more popular in the Arab world. This industry carries several distinctive features, including:

1. The high volatility in this sector can lead to big profits or losses in a short time;
2. It is not necessary to be a millionaire to start trading, a minimum investment is sufficient;
3. Protection of personal data and trading security;
4. There are many Cryptocurrency pairs available for trading;
5. Every day, new Cryptocurrencies appear, each one with great potential to succeed like Bitcoin.

Diversification is an essential risk management principle since it reduces investment risks and helps achieve financial goals without exposing one’s funds to unnecessary risks.

A portfolio diversification strategy involves investing in different assets or asset classes to reduce risk if one or more investments fail. The main goal of diversification is to reduce the impact of negative events on your deposit. Divide the capital into several parts. Also, do not focus on one cryptocurrency. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, which can be offset by a diversification strategy.

When engaging in trading activities, it’s important to be aware of both the potential profits and the inherent risks involved. Profits can be generated through strategic trading decisions, capitalizing on market trends and price fluctuations. However, trading also carries risks, and losses can occur, particularly if traders are unfamiliar with their chosen broker or the instruments they are trading. It is essential to exercise caution and make informed decisions.

Plus500 trading platform enables the trading of Crypto CFDs (availability subject to regulations), including Bitcoin, Ripple XRP, Ethereum, and more. This allows traders to speculate on price movements without owning the actual assets. With over 10 different Crypto assets available, the platform stays at the forefront of innovation. Traders benefit from exposure to the latest markets and trading technologies. Additionally, the platform offers CFD trading across diverse assets like commodities and indices.

This information is NOT relevant to EU residents who are to be serviced by EU subsidiaries of the Plus500 Group, such as Plus500CY Ltd, authorized by CySEC (Reg. 250/14). Different regulatory requirements apply in Europe such as leverage limitations and bonus restrictions.

Remember, while trading offers the potential for profits, it’s crucial to understand the risks involved. Always trade responsibly and consider your level of experience before engaging in real account trading.

Top Forex and CFD brokers in Qatar

It is not as easy as it may appear at first glance to select a Forex broker. It is true that there are many companies on the market, but not all of them provide high-quality service and are reliable and safe. Examine the documentation which confirms the broker’s reliability before you choose it. A good bonus for beginners is free educative trading materials provided by a broker. In the article, we listed companies that have proven their reliability and confirmed their reputation. These companies offer a really high quality of service, timely withdrawals of funds, and a wide range of functionality.

eToro trading in Qatar

eToro is a major player in the market. The company has been leading the fintech revolution for over a decade and earned a reputation as the leading social trading platform in the world. The company started out as a regular trading platform but added cryptocurrencies and other trading tools to keep up with changing markets and growing demand. They are one of the pioneers in adding social features such as CopyTrading and CopyPortfolios.

eToro strengthens its position as the world’s leading social trading platform. It provides the opportunity to invest in stocks and cryptocurrencies, as well as trade CFD contracts with various underlying assets.

At the same time, a balance is maintained between accessibility for novice traders and improvement of functionality for more advanced ones. And since different traders have different risk attitudes, it offers the widest range of instruments that differ in riskiness.

Thus, the user has a wide range of trading instruments at his disposal, he himself can determine the level of riskiness of operations, as well as choose between copying and independent work or combining the first with the second.

OANDA trading in Qatar

OANDA is a reliable forex broker that started its activity in the financial markets in 1995. This brokerage company is licensed by several reputable regulatory organizations, OANDA is the owner of a number of reputable awards: Largest FX Broker 2015, World Finance Awards 2013, IBTimes Trading Awards 2011, and World Finance Awards 2009, etc.

Forex broker OANDA strives to provide its clients with the most attractive and comfortable conditions for successful trading. You can work on the Meta Trader4 trading platform. In addition, the company offers users its own development – the fxTrade terminal. It should be noted that both platforms support trading from mobile devices under the most popular operating systems. OANDA guarantees customers 24/7 service support, working five days a week. There is no minimum deposit requirement to open an account with OANDA. This makes OANDA suitable for beginner traders. The site offers a wide range of educational materials. In addition, the company regularly organizes webinars and seminars for its clients.

The maximum leverage of this broker is 1:200. OANDA guarantees users tight spreads without any hidden fees and instant transaction execution. The company conducts an extremely transparent and open policy toward its customers. As trading instruments, you can use more than 90 different currency pairs, CFDs, precious metals, commodities, world indices, shares of large corporations, etc. Thanks to such a wide range, each trader will be able to create for himself the most versatile and balanced investment portfolio.

Plus500 CFDs trading in Qatar

Plus500 is a large online broker with an impressive range of tools, as well as the functionality and simplicity of a web-based platform.

Plus500 became one of the most popular CFD trading platforms. It has been on the market for more than a decade. The company has established a reputation as a trustworthy broker. The broker has always been a leader in innovation, introducing new products and services constantly and trying to satisfy all client needs.

However, the reliability of Plus500 is not only based on the quality of services it provides to traders. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and has an impressive market capitalization. Plus500’s operations are protected and fully compliant with international regulations

It’s crucial to recognize that trading involves risks. While profit opportunities exist, losses can also occur if traders lack familiarity with their broker or chosen instruments. Plus500 is best suited for experienced traders who are well-versed in market dynamics. We discourage new traders from diving directly into real account trading. Beginners are advised to consider starting with a demo account. This offers a valuable learning space to acquire essential skills before venturing into live trading.

This information is NOT relevant to EU residents who are to be serviced by EU subsidiaries of the Plus500 Group, such as Plus500CY Ltd, authorized by CySEC (Reg. 250/14). Different regulatory requirements apply in Europe such as leverage limitations and bonus restrictions.

AvaTrade trading in Qatar

AvaTrade was founded in 2006, making it one of the pioneering Forex brokers. The company provides services in more than 150 countries around the world, working with more than 200,000 traders. The company is licensed by several regulatory agencies, including ASIC (Australia), FSA (Japan), and regulators in Abu Dhabi and the British Virgin Islands.

Brokers have the advantage of covering all types of markets and trade types. Here you can find both the classic MT4 and MT5 platforms, two platforms that are popular for social trading and algorithmic trading. The number of assets is more than 260. The platform also offers stock options, Cryptocurrencies, and structured ETFs in addition to traditional CFDs.

 AvaTrade has the following advantages:

• Social trading on the independent platform ZuluTrade;
• Competitive spread and leverage offering;
• Diversified set of assets Cryptocurrencies, stocks, commodities, and indices;
• Classic and original platforms for traders with any level of experience;
• No restrictions on the use of different strategies;
• Strict control by credible financial regulators;

Beginner traders can benefit from AvaTrade’s comprehensive training program. On the official website of the broker, all registered traders can access video tutorials. This series of video tutorials covers the peculiarities of trading on the foreign exchange market and how to perform technical and fundamental analysis. On a regular basis, AvaTrade hosts free webinars for new and experienced traders to help them enhance their potential income from trading on the foreign exchange markets. The webinars are run by experienced traders with vast trading experience. 

XM Group trading in Qatar

XM Group is one of the most reputable Forex brokers. A number of prestigious financial licenses have been awarded to the company, and it is supervised by respected regulatory bodies. XM Forex clients can choose from a wide range of instruments, including more than 300 CFDs, Forex, Crypto, metal, and energy derivatives. As well, it is possible to trade shares of the world’s largest companies (Apple, Microsoft, Uber, Facebook, etc.).

XM Group offers its clients competitive trading conditions, including:

• The minimum amount to open a standard account is $5;
• Leverage – from 1:1 to 1:888;
• Floating spread from 0.6 points;
• Trading in Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies;

The company welcomes newcomers to the financial and currency markets by offering a huge variety of educational materials. With the participation of recognized experts and market leaders, XM regularly holds webinars that are open to beginners and experienced traders. Technical support is available around the clock, 5 days a week. Furthermore, there is no ban on the practice of scalping or hedging, and a wide variety of payment systems are available. In addition, XM Group offers its clients a variety of high-quality and versatile analytics to conduct successful trading. In addition to the above advantages, the XM Forex Broker provides a wide range of bonuses, and a highly developed affiliate program. Traders can benefit from zero commissions for depositing and withdrawing funds, a deposit bonus, and a free VPS server.

HF Markets trading in Qatar

HF Markets (previously known as HotForex), provides a wide selection of trading assets and high-quality software, as well as a variety of account types. With favorable trading conditions, instantaneous order execution, and a wide selection of instruments, and services, everyone can find what they want. Broker reliability is demonstrated by the licenses of several regulatory bodies. The company has over 10 years of experience in the industry and has received 35 prestigious awards during this time.

The main advantages of working with HF Markets:

• License from a reputable financial regulator;
• Favorable trading conditions;
• A wide range of trading instruments: Forex, metals, indices, bonds, CFDs on stocks and cryptocurrencies;
• Availability of MT4 and MT5 terminals, a web terminal, and mobile versions of platforms;
• Loyalty program with the possibility of providing bonuses;
• Low initial deposit to get acquainted with the company;
• Special account type with zero spread;
• Availability of PAMM accounts and own service for copying signals.

HF Markets broker can meet all of your trading needs, no matter if you’re new in the field or have years of experience. The broker provides HFcopy – Copy Trading feature where anyone can become a follower or a provider of a pro trading strategy. Additionally, with the Forex broker, you will be able to receive a very generous Forex bonus of up to $5000 on your first deposit, as well as cash rebates of up to $8000 and seasonal bonuses.

It is not necessary to choose only one broker. Demo accounts are available with most of the Forex brokers we mentioned above, so you can sign up with a few to see if their platforms are right for you. You can test a wide range of trading strategies and take advantage of the advanced features currently available.

You can use Social Trading as part of a portfolio diversification strategy: you can trade with one broker while funding it with another, earning passive income.