Part of our country guides. Start with where Alpha Capital works, then compare the guides for Canada, Australia, Pakistan, India, Spain, and South Africa.
Quick answer: The UAE is on the published Asia list. In early October the London open is 11:00am in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and the New York cash open is 5:30pm. The whole country uses Gulf Standard Time, with no clock change.
TL;DR: Alpha Capital is open to traders in the United Arab Emirates. You buy a forex and CFD evaluation, trade simulated funds in US dollars on MT5, cTrader, DXtrade, or TradeLocker, and request performance fees in USD after you qualify. The account is not a dirham balance, and passing does not guarantee income.
Traders in Dubai and Abu Dhabi usually need three answers before they pay: is the UAE accepted, is the balance in dirhams, and what time do London and New York open on a local clock. Alpha Capital covers the first. The account is in USD. London is a late-morning session. New York is early evening.
Note: Evaluations use simulated funds. Performance fees are performance-based. Outcomes are not guaranteed. Confirm the live plan price on alphacapitalgroup.uk before you buy.
Is Alpha Capital open to traders in the UAE?
The United Arab Emirates is on the published Asia list in the country availability guide. It is not on the help centre's restricted-country list. Sign up with your legal name, set the UAE as your country of residence, and pay with a card or account in that same name. Third-party payments are not accepted.
Before a Qualified Account is issued, or before a performance fee is paid, you complete KYC yourself:
- A valid government-issued photo ID. A passport, driving licence, or national ID card works. Paper-only ID does not.
- A selfie for facial matching.
- No VPN or VPS during the check.
The path for a new purchase:
- Choose Alpha One, Alpha Pro, Alpha Swing, or Alpha Direct. Direct is the Instant Funding path and skips the evaluation.
- Pick MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXtrade, or TradeLocker.
- Hit the profit target inside the loss rules on One, Pro, or Swing.
- Become a Qualified Trader on a Qualified Account and request performance fees from the dashboard.
Alpha Three is documented for existing accounts. It is not offered for new purchases.
A "$100K account" is a $100K simulated account in USD. It is not 100,000 dirhams in a UAE bank.
Which platforms and plans can you buy from Dubai?
| Feature | How it works |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | The UAE is on the Asia list. KYC is required. The name on the payment must match your ID. |
| Platforms live now | MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXtrade, TradeLocker. Alpha Trader is marked Coming Soon. |
| Plans for new buyers | Alpha One (1-step), Alpha Pro (2-step), Alpha Swing (2-step), Alpha Direct (no evaluation). |
| Performance split | 80% standard. Optional 90% add-on on Alpha One and on-demand Alpha Pro. Alpha Direct is 90% standard. |
| Banking | Rise, Wise, bank transfer (wire, ACH, or SWIFT), or crypto via Rise. Payment is USD, not AED. |
Rules, drawdown, and the performance split are the same worldwide. The published platform exception is for the United States, where new traders do not get MT5. That exception does not apply in the UAE, so MetaTrader 5 is one of the four live platforms. Confirm it is selectable on your plan at checkout. Platform details are on the platforms page.
What time do London and New York open in Dubai?
The UAE stays on Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4, all year. Dubai and Abu Dhabi share that clock. The United Kingdom and the United States change their clocks, so the local time of those sessions moves.
These times are for early October 2026, while the UK is on British Summer Time and the US is on daylight time.
| Session | Dubai / Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|
| London open, 8:00am UK | 11:00am |
| New York cash open, 9:30am US Eastern | 5:30pm |
| US equity cash close, 4:00pm US Eastern | 12:00am |
The 4:00pm row is the US stock-market close, so you can see the session in local time. It is not an Alpha Capital rule that flattens the account at midnight.
On 25 October 2026 the UK moves back to Greenwich Mean Time. From that morning, an 8:00am London open is 12:00pm in the UAE. The New York open stays at 5:30pm until the US clock change.
On 1 November 2026 the US leaves daylight time. From that day, 9:30am in New York is 6:30pm in Dubai, and the 4:00pm US close is 1:00am. London stays at 12:00pm until the UK moves forward again in spring.
Gold and EUR/USD are active at both of those windows. If you can only sit one of them, the London late morning is the easier desk. The New York open is after a normal office day.
Should a UAE trader buy One, Pro, Swing, or Direct?
- Alpha One if you want a single evaluation stage, one minimum trading day, trailing drawdown, and weekend holds at every stage, including the Qualified Account. Performance fees on One are on-demand only. The standard split is 80%. The 90% add-on is available at purchase.
- Alpha Pro if you want the two-step path. Weekend holds are allowed in both evaluation phases and are not allowed once you are on the Qualified Account. The 90% add-on is available on on-demand Alpha Pro at purchase. Confirm the live news window on the plan you buy.
- Alpha Swing if you want weekend holds at every stage, including after you qualify, plus the looser news rule. Swing uses a 10% static drawdown and on-demand performance fees only. Read the Swing account and prop firms that allow swing trading before you pick it.
- Alpha Direct, sold as Instant Funding, if you want to skip the evaluation and start on a Qualified Account. The split is 90% as standard. Weekend holding is not allowed, so positions are closed before the weekend. The fee is higher up front. See how Instant Funding starts.
Compare the stages in Alpha One vs Alpha Pro vs Alpha Swing. Loss rules are in Alpha Capital rules explained.
Maximum allocation across One, Pro, Swing, and Direct is $400,000 shared. Existing Alpha Three accounts count toward that same cap.
Does Alpha Capital pay UAE traders in dirhams?
Plan prices, drawdown, and performance fees are in USD. A UAE card converts at your bank's rate. Build that conversion into the cost before you call a plan cheap.
The help centre lists Rise, Wise, and bank transfer (wire, ACH, or SWIFT). Crypto is available through Rise, not as a direct Alpha Capital withdrawal. A method being listed does not mean every provider will accept every UAE account. Confirm the method inside the dashboard, and keep the receiving name the same as your KYC name.
Approved requests are paid within two business days. Traders searching for payouts are looking for this performance fee. It is a share of eligible simulated profit, not a salary, and it is not tax advice.
The longer version of the timing is in what a fast performance fee actually looks like.
Can you hold a forex trade over the weekend from the UAE?
On some plans, yes. The weekend-hold help article says Alpha One and Alpha Swing allow weekend holds at every stage. Alpha Pro allows them during the evaluation, then stops once you qualify. Alpha Direct does not allow a weekend hold. A hold can still be charged a swap. Check the live rule on the plan you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use MT5 from Dubai?
Yes. MetaTrader 5 is one of the four live platforms, with cTrader, DXtrade, and TradeLocker. Setup steps are in the MT5 guide.
What time is the London open in Abu Dhabi after October?
Until 25 October 2026 it is 11:00am. From 25 October it is 12:00pm, because the UK clock goes back and the UAE clock does not.
Will my UAE card be charged in USD?
Yes. The plan price is in USD. Your bank converts it. The performance fee comes back in USD, not AED.
Is the UAE accepted?
Yes. The UAE is on the published Asia list and is not on the restricted-country list. Confirm the UAE as your residence at signup and complete KYC in your own name.
Related reading
- Country availability
- Alpha One vs Alpha Pro vs Alpha Swing
- Alpha Capital rules explained
- Prop firms that allow swing trading
- MT5 on Alpha Capital
- Platforms
Start an Alpha Capital evaluation
Simulated evaluations, simulated funds. Performance fees are performance-based. Outcomes are not guaranteed.
Author: Alpha Capital Research Team · Updated: October 7, 2026
