Established in 2010 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, ADSS is an execution-only broker serving retail and institutional clients. With 201-500 employees as of their LinkedIn, ADSS leads the MENA region market. Services are primarily in English and Arabic, with customer support spanning French, Hindi, Turkish, and Urdu as well. ADSS is regulated in the UAE by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA).
In this broker review, we will examine ADSS' pros and cons. We will review the broker’s account offering, platform, and proprietary solutions, as well as customer support and educational resources.
This review is not affiliated with ADSS, and any opinions expressed are our own and not those of the broker.
ADSS: pros and cons overview
ADSS’ pros:
- Wide range of spot forex and CFD products
- Tiered accounts with low entry barrier for retail traders
- Choice of two trading platforms
- No commissions for retail trading
- 24/5 customer support in multiple languages
ADSS’ cons:
- No mutual funds or ETFs
- No longer accepting traders from the UK
What products are offered by ADSS?
ADSS is an execution-only broker and they provide market access to spot FX and CFDs on currencies, stocks, commodities, crypto, and indices.
- FX and FX CFDs: Over 60 currency pairs for forex trading or CFDs. This includes major pairs like EUR/USD and minor pairs like AUD/NZD, as well as exotic pairs that can be requested. Leverage of up to 500:1.
- Stock CFDs: Stocks from around the world and in the GCC region are available as CFDs with leverage up to 20:1. Popular companies include Nike, Barclays, Amazon, and Saudi Aramco.
- Commodity CFDs: You can trade CFDs on commodities like oil, coffee and copper with different leverage amounts, up to 200:1. Commodities include agricultural products, metals, and energy.
- Crypto CFDs: Bitcoin and Ethereum cryptocurrencies, among others, can be traded as CFDs with leverage up to 4:1.
- Index CFDs: CFDs on local and global market indices can be traded with leverage up to 333:1. Indices offered include the US500, the German index (DAX), the French index (CAC), the Nikkei 225, the FTSE100,and the Hang Seng index.
Overall, ADSS provides a wide range of markets, currencies and instruments to choose from for different trading or investment strategies. One limitation is the lack of ETF or mutual fund trading, which could be a sore point for traders who want to diversify their portfolio with funds. However, for us, this was a good selection and it providedample opportunity for diversification within CFDs across markets. There are also no commissions charged for retail traders.
What platforms and solutions are offered by ADSS?
ADSS traders have the options of industry favourite MT4 and its proprietary solution – the ADSS trading platform. Both platforms can be used on desktop, web, and mobile. The main difference, in our opinion, lies in complexity of the interface and tools.
The ADSS trading platform is sleek and minimal, designed for clear and effective execution. There is a single chart view upon logging in, which can be enlarged further. There are modules on both sides of the chart, on the left an array of panels that showcase Orders, a Watchlist, Instrument Search, Positions, and Action History. On the right is a trade ticket with risk management tools such as Stop Loss orders available.
Open positions can be viewed at the bottom in a panel, including information on P&L. Then there is the option of using indicators such as the MACD, Moving Average, Moving Average Cross, Volume, and RSI, as well as drawing tools such as the Fibonacci retracement, Gann Fan, parallel channels, and trend lines. There is also the option of viewing margin coverage and utilisation consistently at the top of the screen.
There is something simple and effective about the ADSS trading platform. For MT4 users, this is a departure from how busy the MetaTrader platform usually is, with multiple charts displayed simultaneously, a range of trading signals, drawing tools, and indicators. MT4 is suitable for advanced traders who would prefer a wide selection of tools for trading, but the beginner or intermediate trader may prefer the ADSS trading platform. MT4 traders can also use one-click trading or use Expert Advisors (EA) plugins for automated trading.
The difference between the two platforms is the main draw for us. Because of how different they are, there is opportunity to find a platform that suits each trader without overwhelming or underwhelming them.
Our rating of the customer support at ADSS
Customer support is available 24/5 at ADSS, in several languages – English, Arabic, French, Urdu, Hindi, and Turkish. We contacted the support team (using a live Classic account for retail traders), and response was fast. They were equipped to answer queries not only related to account issues, but also to other issues related to charting and the platform, which we felt were professional. We give the ADSS support team a five-star rating, out of five.
Our rating of the educational resources at ADSS
ADSS also provides educational resources. They state they are an execution-only broker, so their resources are to be read as general information and not as financial advice. That is fair. The provide a fully bilingual English and Arabic trading glossary, a handful of long-form articles on how to trade, and market updates. We feel like there could be slightly more educational articles, but the market updates were helpful in uncovering new opportunities in different financial markets, and the glossary was a nice touch. We give ADSS educational resources a four-star rating, out of five.
Also Read: The Best Crypto Apps for Trading and Investing
Our final thoughts
ADSS provides a solid trading platform with a good range of products for trading. Those who are interested in spot FX and CFD trading can find plenty of opportunities, and the no-commission model for retail traders is also a good feature. This was not elaborated on in the review, but retail accounts can be activated with a minimum deposit requirement of 100 USD. This is a low entry barrier that does not come by often for brokers that are reputable and well-regulated. The broker did recently terminate their presence in the United Kingdom, which may be a limitation for those planning to trade from the UK. However, it remains a robust and leading broker in the GCC and wider MENA region, and it is a trustworthy one that deserves its leading regional position.
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