Update (2026): Sarwa has grown substantially since this post was first written — it crossed $1 billion in client assets under management in May 2026 and now serves 180,000+ registered users across the UAE and wider Gulf region. Below is a fully refreshed review, including how it compares to Baraka, its most commonly paired alternative.
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The Internet has made several things easy for us — if you have a smartphone and a few dirhams, you can start investing from wherever you are. If you’re in the UAE and want to start investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, Sarwa remains one of the strongest platforms for it.
Sarwa is an online platform that helps you invest in diversified, low-cost portfolios and trade US stocks. It builds your portfolio based on your risk profile and handles rebalancing, dividend reinvestment, and tax optimization automatically.
Sarwa is licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market), and also operates under Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) oversight for select services.
Sarwa focuses on long-term investing by building a portfolio matched to your risk appetite. As of 2026, the platform has expanded into three core products:
Baraka is the alternative most commonly weighed against Sarwa by UAE investors, but the two are actually built for different habits rather than being direct substitutes:
| Factor | Sarwa | Baraka |
| Investing style | Hands-off, automated portfolio management (robo-advisor) | Self-directed — you pick your own stocks and ETFs |
| Best suited for | Investors who want a set-and-forget portfolio, generally suited to regular contributions of AED 10,000+ | Investors who want to actively choose individual US stocks/ETFs themselves |
| Shariah-compliant option | Yes, available | Yes — built-in Halal stock screening/filter |
| Fees | Management fee starting around 0.85% p.a. for automated portfolios | Low per-trade cost, commonly cited from around $1/trade |
Neither is strictly “better” — Sarwa suits you if you’d rather not think about individual stock picks and are comfortable paying a management fee for that convenience. Baraka suits you if you want to choose your own positions and keep per-trade costs low. Some UAE investors use both: Sarwa for a core hands-off portfolio, Baraka for a smaller self-directed side allocation.
Download the app and fill out the risk questionnaire, which is designed to understand your investment goals and risk tolerance. Based on your answers, Sarwa builds and prepares a matching portfolio.
Choose your risk profile carefully — lower risk generally means lower returns, and higher risk comes with higher potential returns (and losses). Pick a level matched to how much volatility you can genuinely tolerate.
Next, you’ll upload identity documents and a verification selfie to complete account setup.
You can invest in US-listed stocks and ETFs across all major exchanges through the platform. Sarwa charges no commission on stock trading and no fees on bank transfers, with portfolio management fees starting from a low annual percentage depending on your investment amount. Minimums and exact fees can change — check Sarwa’s current pricing page for up-to-date figures rather than relying on the numbers in this post.
Is Sarwa safe to use in the UAE?
Sarwa is regulated by the FSRA in ADGM, with DFSA oversight for select services, and your holdings are typically held through a regulated custodian. As with any investment platform, “regulated” doesn’t mean “risk-free” — your invested funds are still subject to normal market risk.
Sarwa or Baraka — which should I choose?
Choose Sarwa if you want a hands-off, automatically managed portfolio and don’t want to pick individual stocks. Choose Baraka if you’d rather self-direct your own stock and ETF purchases. Some investors use both for different parts of their portfolio.
Does Sarwa offer Shariah-compliant investing?
Yes, Sarwa offers a Shariah-compliant portfolio option alongside its standard offerings.
What’s the minimum amount to start investing with Sarwa?
Historically around $500 to open an account, though minimums and fee structures can change — confirm the current figure on Sarwa’s own site before signing up.
Start investing and make your money work for you.
