International Securities

What International Securities does

International Securities L.L.C. is a UAE-incorporated brokerage firm headquartered in Abu Dhabi (with a Dubai branch at Dubai World Trade Centre), regulated by the Securities and Commodities Authority under license 604017. The firm provides equities and derivatives execution on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Dubai Financial Market (DFM), and Nasdaq Dubai, serving primarily individual retail investors and secondarily institutional and corporate clients including family offices. The company has operated continuously since 2001, originally as the brokerage arm of First Gulf Bank (now FAB) under the name Al Muttahida Securities and later SHUAA Securities, before being acquired by International Holding Company (IHC) in November 2019 and rebranded to International Securities.

The technology stack centers on a multi-channel trading platform comprising a web-based eTrade terminal, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and Direct Market Access integration with Bloomberg Terminal. The platform supports an integrated product suite including equities, single-stock futures, margin trading, covered and technical short selling, securities lending and borrowing (SLB) as a certified ADX agent, ETFs, and the Tabadul Hub providing cross-border access to Bahrain Bourse, Muscat Securities Market, and Astana International Exchange. Recent integrations (March 2026 with Emirates NBD Pay via Visa Account Funding Transaction, May 2026 with ADX Managed Services connected to UAE Central Bank payment infrastructure) position the firm as a first-mover on API-driven funding-trading-portfolio workflows.

The revenue model is transaction-based, generating commissions from executed orders on the three UAE exchanges, interest income from leveraged margin facilities, and transaction fees from SLB intermediation. Account opening is free with no maintenance fees, and pricing is pay-as-you-go. Distribution is hybrid: digital self-serve (web, mobile, Tabadul Hub, online eKYC onboarding) for retail, supplemented by dedicated portfolio managers and an institutional sales team for corporate and high-net-worth clients, with strategic channel partnerships via Emirates NBD Pay and ADX Managed Services. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHC and was consolidated in February 2026 under Judan Financial, a holding company overseeing approximately $237 billion in assets alongside Chimera Investment and Lunate Capital.

Name

International Securities

Legal name

International Securities L.L.C.

Website

https://intlsecurities.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Securities is a UAE brokerage firm (SCA-regulated, IHC-owned) providing equities and derivatives trading on ADX, DFM, and Nasdaq Dubai to retail and institutional clients via web, mobile, and Bloomberg-integrated platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Securities Brokerage

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Stock Borrow/Loan (Equities Securities Lending) (FSACAFAD)

Keywords

• Equities brokerage
• Derivatives trading
• UAE capital markets
• Online trading platform
• Securities lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Commissions: Commission-based revenue from executing buy and sell orders for equities and derivatives on ADX, DFM, and Nasdaq Dubai. Commissions vary by market and regulatory structure. The company charges trading fees disclosed on their schedule-of-fees-and-interest page.
2. Margin Trading Interest: Interest income generated from providing leveraged margin facilities to clients at competitive rates, allowing them to maximize their trading limits.
3. Securities Lending & Borrowing (SLB): Income from acting as a certified SLB agent in ADX market, facilitating the lending of client portfolio shares to generate additional returns for investors with idle positions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

International Securities is a UAE-licensed brokerage firm specializing in equities and derivatives trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Dubai Financial Market (DFM), and Nasdaq Dubai. The firm delivers trading services through a multi-channel platform including a web-based eTrade platform, native mobile applications (iOS/Android), and Direct Market Access via Bloomberg Terminal, complemented by research, margin financing, securities lending and borrowing, and cross-market access through the Tabadul Hub.

Product overview

International Securities is a brokerage firm offering a multi-channel trading platform with equities and derivatives trading on ADX, DFM, and Nasdaq Dubai. The core offering consists of eTrade (web-based trading platform), Mobile Trading apps (iOS/Android), and Direct Market Access via Bloomberg Terminal. Additional services include equities, futures, margin trading, short selling, securities lending & borrowing (SLB), ETFs, and Tabadul Hub for cross-border market access. The company also provides research services, online account opening, and integrated payment solutions through Emirates NBD Pay and UAE Central Bank infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eTrade Web Platform Web-based online trading platform offering functions and features comparable to desktop trading systems, accessible from laptop browsers, providing real-time market access and order placement for retail and institutional clients.
• Mobile Trading App Native iOS and Android mobile application providing real-time stock market prices, news feeds, and secure order placement for individual and institutional clients trading UAE-listed securities.
• Direct Market Access (Bloomberg DMA) Bloomberg Terminal Direct Market Access integration that allows professional traders and institutional clients to execute orders on UAE exchanges through their existing Bloomberg terminal interface.
• Equities Trading Service enabling clients to buy and sell shares listed on Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), and Nasdaq Dubai, accessible through dedicated portfolio managers or online channels.
• Futures Trading Derivative trading service for single stock equity futures on Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Nasdaq Dubai, allowing clients to trade and benefit from market volatility.
• Margin Trading Leveraged margin financing service providing additional buying power at competitive interest rates, enabling clients to maximize their trading limits on UAE-listed securities.
• Short Selling Securities short-selling service allowing clients to sell securities without ownership and commit to cover during settlement, supporting both covered and technical short selling on UAE exchanges.
• Securities Lending & Borrowing (SLB) Portfolio lending and borrowing service enabling clients to earn additional income by lending idle shares, with International Securities acting as a certified SLB agent in the ADX market.
• Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) Trading ETF trading service allowing clients to acquire a basket of reputable and robust shares in a single order, purchased either from the exchange or directly from ETF issuers.
• Tabadul Hub Cross-market trading platform providing clients with access to multiple regional exchanges including Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Bahrain Bourse (BHB), Muscat Securities Market (MSX), and Astana International Exchange (AIX).
• Research Services Equity research offering including morning reports, evening reports, weekly dashboards, detailed company coverage, Morgan Stanley index reviews, and sector analysis to support client investment decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• First brokerage firm to offer individual investors direct access to ADX Managed Services integrated funding, trading, and portfolio management
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026International Securities signed an agreement with ADX at the Make it in the Emirates forum on May 5, 2026, making it the first brokerage to offer individual investors direct access to ADX Managed Services (AMS). This API-driven platform integrates funding, trading, and portfolio management into a single workflow. The first service, Certified Cash Transfer, connects directly to UAE Central Bank's payment infrastructure enabling real-time fund transfers.
• Emirates NBDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 March 2026Emirates NBD onboarded International Securities LLC onto its Emirates NBD Pay platform using Visa's Account Funding Transaction (AFT) model, enabling investors to fund brokerage accounts via debit cards with near real-time processing. International Securities is the first securities broker to go live on this platform, representing a scalable production-ready framework that can be extended to additional brokers.
• VisacoreTechnology or IntegrationVisa's Account Funding Transaction (AFT) model powers the Emirates NBD Pay card-to-account transfer functionality that International Securities leverages for instant brokerage account funding.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• ADX (Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange): UAE securities exchange operator and a key infrastructure/counterparty for International Securities' brokerage activity. Comparable in the sense that ADX's product and technology roadmap (e.g., Managed Services) directly shapes International Securities' distribution and product roadmap, but ADX is an exchange operator, not a competing broker.

Emerging players

• Interactive Brokers: Global digital broker offering multi-market access including UAE exchanges. Comparable as a technology-led, multi-venue broker with similar product breadth (margin, short selling, futures, ETFs), but competing from a global scale rather than a UAE-anchored retail base.

Direct peers

• Emirates NBD Securities: Brokerage arm of Emirates NBD, one of the largest UAE banks. Directly comparable as a UAE-based multi-exchange retail and institutional broker offering trading on ADX, DFM, and Nasdaq Dubai; competes head-to-head with International Securities for the same UAE investor base, and is also International Securities' distribution partner via Emirates NBD Pay.
• Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) Securities: Brokerage subsidiary of ADIB, offering equities trading on UAE exchanges. Comparable as a UAE bank-affiliated retail and institutional broker serving the same ADX/DFM customer base, with similar product breadth in margin and online trading.
• First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) Securities: Securities arm of FAB, the UAE's largest bank. Notably, International Securities was originally the brokerage arm of First Gulf Bank (now FAB), making FAB Securities a particularly close comparable in heritage, product scope, and customer base across ADX, DFM, and Nasdaq Dubai.
• Mashreq Securities: Brokerage arm of Mashreq Bank, one of the UAE's largest privately-held banks. Comparable as a UAE-headquartered broker offering online and institutional trading on ADX and DFM, competing for the same retail and HNW segments.
• BHM Capital: UAE-based financial services firm offering brokerage and investment services on ADX and DFM. Directly comparable as a UAE-focused, locally-headquartered broker competing for retail and institutional trading flow, with a similar digital-led distribution approach.

Broad incumbents

• EFG Hermes: Leading MENA-based investment bank with brokerage, asset management, and research operations. Comparable as a regional incumbent broker with much broader product breadth and a larger institutional footprint, but operating from a wider platform rather than specializing in UAE retail brokerage.

Regional players

• SICO Capital: Bahrain-headquartered regional broker offering trading across GCC exchanges including ADX and DFM. Comparable as a GCC-focused brokerage, though based in Bahrain rather than the UAE, providing cross-border regional competition.
• Al Rajhi Capital: Largest Saudi broker by retail market share. Comparable as a leading regional brokerage with a similar retail-anchored, digital-first model, though operating primarily in Saudi Arabia and competing with International Securities mainly in cross-border GCC contexts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IntlSecurities
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB7twyMcsyUPwKQ8CyenoWg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/internationalsecurities
• Instagraminstagram.com/international.securities

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Securities