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// Dubai · United Arab Emirates · Est. 1989

Fully disclosed introductions to regulated institutions. Since 1989.

A proud legacy spanning over thirty years.

Sterling Financial Services LLC introduces fully disclosed customers to reputable, regulated financial institutions within the UAE and beyond. We do not execute trades, provide investment advice, manage client funds, or hold client assets.

Check if we can help you → What we can and cannot do
1989
Established
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cat 5
CMA licence class
Introduction
0
Named institutions
Disclosed, not hidden
AED 0
Client funds held
By design, and by licence
// Regulatory status
Capital Market Authority United Arab Emirates
Licence number
305029
Category
5
✓Introduce clients to regulated financial institutions in the UAE and internationally
✗Execute trades
✗Provide investment advice
✗Manage client funds
✗Hold client assets
Verify on the CMA register ↗ Do not take our word for it.
// Institutions we introduce clients to
// 01 · By the numbers

Thirty-six years. One licence.

Sterling Financial Services LLC has operated continuously from Dubai since 1989, under a single regulated permission and a single, deliberately narrow scope.
1989
Year established
Continuous operation
0+
Years of introductions
UAE and beyond
305029
CMA licence number
Category 5 · Introduction
0
Named institutions
Publicly disclosed
// 02 · What we do

Introduction services, tailored to the financial sector.

Our experienced team possesses a deep understanding of customer needs. We introduce clients to both regulated financial institutions within the UAE and international firms.
// 01

Introduction to regulated institutions.

We introduce clients to both regulated financial institutions within the UAE and to international firms. Every partner institution is vetted before we make an introduction, and the relationship is fully disclosed to the client from the outset.

// 02

Tailored client matching.

We match clients with suitable financial institutions based on their unique needs, rather than routing everyone to the same destination.

// 03

Support throughout the process.

We stay with the client through onboarding to help ensure the experience is seamless from first conversation to account opening.

// 04

Vetted partners only.

Thorough vetting of partner institutions is one of our core commitments. We introduce clients only to firms we are prepared to name publicly.

// 03 · Get started

Four questions. Then a human.

We will tell you honestly whether we can help. If we cannot, we will say so on this page rather than waste your time on a call.
// Step 1 of 4 · Eligibility

First, a rule we cannot bend.

Applicants must not be U.S. citizens at the time of application. Permanent residents are not eligible. We check this first so nobody wastes an hour finding out at the end.

// Step 2 of 4 · What you are looking for

What kind of introduction?

This decides which of our institutions is relevant. We introduce, we do not advise on which is right for you.

// Step 3 of 4 · Scale
Compliance question · does asking this constitute suitability profiling?

Roughly what size are we talking about?

Bands only, and you can skip this. It tells us which institutions will actually accept the introduction, since minimums differ.

// Step 4 of 4 · How to reach you

Where should we call, and when?

We aim to respond within five minutes during office hours. That is not a marketing line, it is the whole reason we ask.

// used for WhatsApp if you choose it
✓

Received. We are on it.

A member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Internal · lead desk previewnot visible to the public
0
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SCORE OUT OF 100 · UPDATES LIVE AS THE FORM IS FILLED
Waiting for input.
Proposed · not on current siteMarkets available through our institutionsUsed by 81% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

XS.com, Pepperstone, Taurex, Sky Links Capital, Sanabil, Stonefort and most of the register list the asset classes their clients can access.

Compliance question

Does naming markets imply Sterling offers trading in them? Mitigation below: markets described as available through the institutions we introduce to, never as our own offering.

// Proposed · Markets

Markets our institutions give access to.

Sterling does not offer or execute any of the below. These are the markets available at the regulated institutions we introduce clients to.

// 01
Foreign exchange
Major, minor and exotic currency pairs available at partner institutions.
// 02
Metals & commodities
Gold, silver and energy markets, subject to each institution's own product range.
// 03
Indices & shares
Global equity indices and single-share instruments, where the institution offers them.
// 04 · Our institutions

We name them. Almost nobody does.

Thorough vetting of partner institutions is a core commitment. Clients are told exactly who they are being introduced to, before any introduction is made.
// Partner institution
Saxo Bank
A global investment bank and multi-asset institution, and one of the firms Sterling introduces clients to.
// Partner institution
CMS Financial
A financial institution regulated in the United Arab Emirates, and one of the firms Sterling introduces clients to.
// Partner institution
IC Markets
A brokerage institution, and one of the firms Sterling introduces clients to. All brokerage and trading services are provided by the institution under its own regulatory licences.

All brokerage and trading services are provided by the partner institution under its own regulatory licences. Sterling Financial Services LLC does not handle client funds or provide any investment advice.

Proposed · not on current siteNeutral institution comparison tableUsed by no Category 5 licensee found
Who uses this

Nobody in the register compares its own partner institutions side by side. Affiliate comparison sites do it, but they are ranking for commission. A factual, unranked table would be unique.

Compliance question

The line is ranking. A neutral factual table is arguably information; adding "best for beginners" or any recommendation is advice. Also: Google prohibits ad destinations that look like broker-review sites, which affects paid traffic.

// Proposed · Comparison

The facts, in one place.

Each institution's own published details, reproduced without ranking, scoring or recommendation. You decide. We introduce.

InstitutionTypeRegulated inBest suited to
Saxo BankInvestment bankTo be confirmedREMOVE — this column is a recommendation
CMS FinancialBrokerUnited Arab EmiratesREMOVE
IC MarketsBrokerTo be confirmedREMOVE

// The fourth column is shown deliberately. It is the exact thing that would turn this table from information into advice.

// 05 · Our scope

Introduced. Disclosed. Never held.

We operate in a regulated environment and we hold ourselves to it. Compliance and ethical standards are not a section of this website, they are the boundary of the business. The list below is what we are licensed not to do, and we would rather lead with it than bury it.

// 06 · Licensed scope

The whole permission, in plain words.

Sterling Financial Services LLC is regulated by the CMA in the UAE as a Category 5, Introduction licensee, Licence No. 305029.

Category 5 · Introduction · Licence No. 305029

// What we are licensed to do
  • ✓Introduce fully disclosed customers to reputable, regulated financial institutions
  • ✓Introduce clients to regulated financial institutions within the UAE
  • ✓Introduce clients to international firms
  • ✓Match clients with suitable institutions based on their needs
  • ✓Support clients throughout the onboarding process
// What we do not do
  • ✗Execute trades
  • ✗Provide investment advice
  • ✗Manage client funds
  • ✗Hold client assets
  • ✗Provide brokerage or trading services of any kind
Proposed · not on current siteEducation, seminars and webinarsUsed by 53% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

Smart Wings runs education as its front door ("Bony Academy", free live webinars). Orient Financial runs free seminars. Taurex, Kudo and ATFX MENA all publish academies.

Compliance question

Where is the line between general education and investment advice? Content must stay general and never reference a specific instrument, entry, or expected return.

// Proposed · Education

Understand the market before you enter it.

General sessions on how regulated markets work, how institutions are licensed, and what to ask before opening an account. No recommendations, no signals, no forecasts.

01

Monthly seminar

An in-person session in Dubai covering market structure and regulatory protection. Free to attend.

02

Online webinar

The same material delivered remotely, in English and Arabic.

03

Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the terms that appear in every account agreement.

Proposed · not on current siteMarket commentary and economic calendarUsed by 51% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

Orient Financial, Century Financial, Alfa Financial, ATFX MENA, JMI Brokers and Direct TT all publish research, analysis or an economic calendar.

Compliance question

Highest-risk item on the list. Commentary naming an instrument or a direction is arguably investment advice, which Category 5 does not permit. May also require the CMA finfluencer permit if distributed on social media.

// Proposed · Market notes

What happened, not what to do.

A weekly factual summary of scheduled economic events and published data. Descriptive only.

Sample entry · week commencing

// Permitted framing
  • ✓"The UAE central bank publishes its rate decision on Wednesday."
  • ✓"Gold closed the week at X. Last week it closed at Y."
// Not permitted
  • ✗"Gold looks set to rally. Consider a long position."
  • ✗"Our analysts expect the pair to reach 1.15."
Proposed · not on current siteIntroducing partner (sub-IB) programmeUsed by 37% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

Direct TT runs the most developed programme in the register. Taurex segments Introducers, Affiliates, Fund Managers and Prop Desks. XS.com lists seven partner types.

Compliance question

Can a Category 5 licensee appoint sub-introducers, and must they be separately licensed? Does paying a referral fee to an unlicensed individual constitute unlicensed financial promotion?

// Proposed · Partners

Introduce alongside a 1989 licence.

A programme for advisors, relationship managers and referring professionals who want to introduce clients under an established, regulated UAE permission rather than build their own.

01

Transparent structure

Published terms, tracked introductions, and a named point of contact.

02

Compliance cover

Introductions made under Sterling's disclosed scope, with our vetting applied to every institution.

03

Named institutions

Partners know exactly which institutions their clients will be introduced to. So do the clients.

Proposed · not on current siteCorporate FX and hedging introductionsUsed by 1 of 171 licensees
Who uses this

Across all 171 firms holding the Introduction permission, "hedge" appears as a client use case at Sky Links Capital only. Sanabil is the only firm naming corporates as a segment. Effectively unoccupied.

Compliance question

Introducing a corporate treasury is the same regulated activity as introducing an individual. The risk is language: describing exposure, or suggesting a hedge is appropriate, may cross into advice.

// Proposed · Corporates

Your suppliers invoice in dollars. Your revenue is not.

For UAE importers, exporters, contractors and trading companies carrying currency exposure. We introduce your finance team to regulated institutions that handle corporate FX. We do not advise on whether or how to hedge.

// Import & export
Trade exposure
Introductions to institutions handling multi-currency settlement and forward contracts.
// Contracting
Project currency risk
Introductions for firms whose contracts and costs sit in different currencies.
// Treasury
Corporate accounts
Introductions to regulated institutions offering corporate treasury facilities.
Proposed · not on current siteBook a 15-minute call (live slot picker)Used by no pure introducer in the UAE
Who uses this

Continental Group, Acuma, Sky Bridge Advisory and Direct TT use booking links. No pure introducing firm in the register has one. Sterling would be first in its category.

Compliance question

Lowest-risk item here. The only question is what the call is called. Deliberately not "consultation" or "advice", both of which imply a permission we do not hold.

// Proposed · Booking

Fifteen minutes. No advice given.

Same-day and next-day slots only. Long booking windows are the single biggest cause of no-shows.

// Today
Proposed · not on current siteIslamic / swap-free account introductionsUsed by 19% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

Sky Links, Infinox, Lirunex, Accuindex, JMI Brokers and UEXO reference Islamic or swap-free accounts. Eastern Trust states it follows Islamic principles.

Compliance question

Can we describe a partner institution's account as Sharia-compliant without holding a certification ourselves, or must the claim be attributed entirely to the institution and its own board?

// Proposed · Islamic accounts

Swap-free options where the institution offers them.

Several institutions we introduce to operate swap-free account types. Certification and Sharia oversight are the institution's own, not Sterling's.

Proposed · not on current siteNamed leadership and team pageUsed by ~3% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

Almost nobody. Continental Group names its founder; Prima names an executive. Across the independent introducers in the register, no team is named.

Compliance question

Are named individuals required to hold personal CMA accreditation to appear on a licensee's website? The register records accredited staff per licensee, so this may already be satisfied.

// Proposed · People

Thirty-six years is a person, not a number.

A short page naming the people responsible for introductions and compliance, with role and tenure.

Proposed · not on current siteClient testimonials and third-party reviewsUsed by ~5% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

Stonefort embeds Google and WikiFX reviews. Kudo shows Trustpilot. Continental surfaces 81 Google reviews.

Compliance question

Testimonials referencing profits or performance are almost certainly prohibited. Service-quality testimonials may be acceptable. Needs a written rule before any are collected.

// Proposed · Proof

Let clients say it instead of us.

Service-only testimonials. Proposed rule: nothing published that mentions a number a client made or lost.

Proposed · not on current siteHow we are paid (conflict disclosure)Used by no independent introducer found
Who uses this

No independent introducer in the register discloses how it is compensated. Every one is silent. The universal, unstated model is institution-paid.

Compliance question

Is disclosing that Sterling is compensated by the institution required, permitted, or discouraged? Conflict disclosure is generally viewed favourably, but exact wording matters.

// Proposed · Transparency

Our introduction costs you nothing.

Proposed disclosure: Sterling is compensated by the institution, not by the client. This would be the only such statement in the register.

Proposed · not on current siteFull Arabic version of the siteUsed by 34% of Category 5 licensees
Who uses this

Dominion, Sanabil, DB Investing, GivTrade, JMI Brokers, CMS Financial and Century all run bilingual sites. Two thirds of the register does not.

Compliance question

Must the Arabic version be a certified translation, and does the risk disclosure need separate review in Arabic? A mistranslated disclosure is a live risk.

// Proposed · العربية

Same disclosure, both languages.

شركة ستيرلينغ للخدمات المالية ذ.م.م مرخصة من هيئة سوق المال في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ضمن الفئة الخامسة، التعريف، برقم ترخيص ٣٠٥٠٢٩. لا نقوم بتنفيذ الصفقات أو تقديم المشورة الاستثمارية أو إدارة أموال العملاء أو الاحتفاظ بأصولهم.

// Draft only. Requires certified translation and separate compliance review.

Proposed · not on current sitePublished retail loss percentageUsed by 1 of 171 licensees
Who uses this

JMI Brokers is the only firm found publishing a retail loss figure (67%). Standard under UK and EU rules, almost absent in the UAE.

Compliance question

Increases protection rather than risk. Question is sourcing: obtain the figure from each institution and attribute it, rather than state a number of our own.

// Proposed · Risk

Most retail accounts lose money.

Publish the institution's own reported percentage of retail accounts that lose money, attributed to that institution, next to every introduction.

Proposed · not on current sitePrivate bank and wealth introductionsUsed by 2 of 171 licensees
Who uses this

Eastern Trust (est. 1997) introduces to EFG Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, BIL and Société Générale Private Banking. 4Front Capital operates as a multi-family office. Nobody combines this with trading introductions.

Compliance question

Does the Category 5 Introduction permission cover introductions to banks and wealth managers as well as brokers, or is a separate arrangement required?

// Proposed · Wealth

One introduction firm. Both halves of the market.

Sterling already names Saxo Bank among its institutions. Extending disclosed introductions to private banking would occupy a position no other firm in the register holds.

Proposed · not on current siteQualification questions in the enquiry formNew — no direct precedent in the register
What this is

The "Scale" step above asks for an approximate amount and experience level. This is the highest-value data for routing a lead, and the reason speed-to-lead works.

Compliance question

Asking about investment amount and experience resembles a suitability assessment, which is an advisory activity. Does collecting it, without acting on it, cross the line? Also raises PII and data-retention questions before any KYC relationship exists.

// Proposed · Data

The most useful question is the riskiest one.

Options if rejected: drop the scale step entirely, make it optional (as built), or replace it with a neutral "which institution minimums apply to you" framing that references published thresholds rather than the client's own funds.

// 07 · Our commitments

Three things we will not trade away.

01

Compliance and ethical standards

We operate in a regulated environment and prioritise compliance and ethical standards in everything we do.

02

Thorough vetting of partners

Every institution we introduce clients to is vetted thoroughly before any introduction is made.

03

A secure environment

We create a secure environment where clients can confidently engage with financial institutions.

1989
// Dubai, United Arab Emirates
// introducing fully disclosed customers
// with reputable, regulated institutions
// within UAE and beyond
// 08 · Our story

A proud legacy spanning over thirty years.

Sterling Financial Services LLC has been introducing fully disclosed customers with reputable, regulated financial institutions within the UAE and beyond since 1989. Our experienced team possesses a deep understanding of customer needs, and we provide introduction services tailored to the financial sector.

To be a trusted partner in the financial services industry, recognised for our commitment to excellence, transparency, and client satisfaction.

1989
Established in DubaiSterling Financial Services LLC begins introducing customers to regulated institutions.
Cat 5
Licensed for IntroductionRegulated as a Category 5, Introduction licensee, Licence No. 305029.
2026
Thirty-six years onStill the same single, narrow, fully disclosed permission.
// 09 · Questions people actually ask

The awkward ones, answered first.

If a question is missing here, it is because we could not answer it without giving advice. Ask us directly instead.

Your money never comes to Sterling. We are licensed as a Category 5 Introducer, which means we are not permitted to hold client assets or manage client funds, and we do not. Your funds sit with the regulated institution you are introduced to, under that institution's own licence and its own client-money rules. If anyone at any firm tells you your funds are protected because they are "regulated in the UAE", ask them which entity actually holds the money.

Nothing. You pay the institution's own published costs, exactly as you would if you approached it directly. Our introduction does not add a fee to what you pay.

We are compensated by the institution, not by you. We think you should know that before you speak to us rather than after, and we are happy to explain the arrangement on a call.

Yes, and it is worth being precise about what that means. Sterling Financial Services LLC is regulated by the Capital Market Authority in the UAE as a Category 5, Introduction licensee, Licence No. 305029. That permits us to introduce clients to regulated financial institutions. It does not permit us to execute trades, provide investment advice, manage funds, or hold assets, and we do none of those things. You can verify our entry on the CMA public register.

No. We are not licensed to and we will not, however the question is phrased. If someone at any firm offers you a recommendation, a signal, or a "sure thing", ask to see the licence that permits them to give it.

You will be told before the introduction is made, never after. We publish the institutions we work with on this site, which is unusual in our market. Most firms holding the same licence do not name theirs at all.

Honestly, you do not have to. You can approach any of these institutions directly and it will cost you the same. What we add is thirty-six years of knowing which institution takes which kind of client, and staying with you through an onboarding process that is often slower and more document-heavy than people expect.

Yes. Investing in the financial markets is a high-risk activity, and leveraged products in particular can result in losses. Nothing on this site is a suggestion that you will make money. If you are not comfortable losing what you put in, this is not for you, and we would rather say that now.

// Speak to us

Introduced properly. Or not at all.

Tell us what you are looking for and we will explain which regulated institutions we introduce to, and why. We do not execute trades, provide investment advice, manage client funds, or hold client assets.

Start the four questions → Call +971 4 321 8456
// Introduction only · No client funds held · No investment advice given
// Office
Office 101, 3rd Floor
Oasis Center, Sheikh Zayed Road

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

// Direct
+971 4 321 8456

For all enquiries regarding new and existing introductions.

// Regulatory
CMA · Category 5
Licence No. 305029

Regulated by the Capital Market Authority in the United Arab Emirates as a Category 5, Introduction licensee.

// Eligibility
Not available to U.S. citizens

Applicants must not be U.S. citizens at the time of application. Permanent residents are not eligible.

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