Derayah Financial
Sahm CapitalBoth platforms are CMA-regulated and require no existing bank relationship to open an account. Derayah Financial is Saudi Arabia's largest independent digital investment platform, marketing zero-commission Tadawul and US stock trading, though its own published fee documentation lists a small per-share charge on US trades (around $0.0199/share plus VAT). Sahm Capital is a newer entrant whose published pricing page cites a 0.105% commission on the net value of Saudi stock trades, alongside marketing language describing "lifetime zero-brokerage commission" on Saudi stocks — a discrepancy worth checking directly before opening either account, plus a $0.015/share fee on US stocks with per-trade minimums, and margin financing rates around 7% p.a. (Murabaha financing cited around 8% APR as a limited-time offer).
Both platforms' marketing gets ahead of their published fee schedules
This is the most useful thing to know before comparing these two platforms on price: both market themselves with "zero commission" or "lifetime zero-brokerage" language that doesn't fully match their own published fee documentation once you read past the headline.
Derayah's marketing describes zero-commission trading on Tadawul and US stocks. Its own fee schedule, however, lists a per-share charge on US stock trades, cited around $0.0199 per share plus VAT, illustrated in Derayah's documentation as roughly $2.29 total on a 100-share trade. Tadawul trading itself does appear to carry $0 commission per the same schedule.
Sahm Capital's own pricing page cites a 0.105% commission on the net transaction value of Saudi stock trades, even while separate marketing describes "lifetime zero-brokerage commission trading on Saudi stocks." Its US stock fee schedule lists $0.015 per share, with a minimum charge of $0.49 for stocks priced at $5 or below and $1.99 for stocks above that price. We're flagging both discrepancies plainly rather than resolving them in either platform's favour — the honest advice is to pull up each platform's own current published fee schedule (not just its marketing page) before comparing costs for your specific expected trading pattern.
"Zero commission" and "lifetime zero-brokerage" are strong, specific claims. When a platform's own published fee documentation shows a non-zero charge on some trade types, that's worth knowing before you assume every trade you place will genuinely cost nothing. The amounts involved are typically small for a retail-sized trade, but small numbers compound with frequency, and the gap between marketing language and fee documentation is the kind of detail a careful investor checks directly rather than assumes.
Derayah Financial vs Sahm Capital at a glance
| Feature | Derayah Financial | Sahm Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | CMA (Saudi Arabia) | CMA (Saudi Arabia) |
| Track record | Saudi Arabia's largest independent digital investment platform; longer operating history | Newer entrant; shorter operating track record |
| Onboarding | Fully digital via Absher/Nafath, typically minutes | Fully digital via Saudi national ID, typically minutes |
| Tadawul commission (published) | $0 per Derayah's own fee schedule | 0.105% of net transaction value per Sahm's own pricing page, despite "lifetime zero-brokerage" marketing language |
| US stock commission (published) | ~$0.0199/share + VAT (~$2.29 on a 100-share trade), despite "zero commission" marketing | $0.015/share, minimum $0.49 (stocks ≤$5) or $1.99 (stocks >$5) |
| Margin/financing | Sharia-compliant margin financing available; rate not published as a simple flat figure | Margin rate cited around 7% p.a.; Murabaha financing cited around 8% APR (limited-time offer) |
| Additional products | In-house managed investment funds, Sharia-compliant margin financing | Narrower product range currently; no direct equivalent to Derayah's managed funds yet |
Facts as of August 2026, drawn from EW+'s existing platform reviews and each broker's own published pricing pages. Both platforms adjust pricing as they compete for market share — confirm current schedules directly before opening an account.
Search interest in "Derayah vs Sahm Capital" reflects a real decision Saudi-based investors face when picking a first standalone brokerage account: an established platform with a longer track record and broader product range, or a newer, faster-onboarding entrant actively competing on price. Neither answer is obviously correct for every reader, which is exactly why we've focused this comparison on the specific published numbers rather than either platform's own framing of itself.
Product breadth: where Derayah currently has an edge
Beyond core brokerage, Derayah offers Sharia-compliant margin financing (borrowing against a portfolio under Islamic finance structures) and in-house managed investment funds, products Sahm Capital does not yet offer an equivalent to. For an investor whose needs may grow beyond simple stock trading over time, into financing or managed fund products, Derayah's current product range covers more ground within a single account. For an investor whose needs are limited to straightforward Tadawul and US stock trading, this difference in breadth may not be relevant at all.
Where each tends to fit in practice
Investors prioritising the longest track record and broadest product range, even if that means accepting Derayah's small published per-share fee on US trades, tend to open Derayah accounts. Investors specifically comparing current pricing, and comfortable evaluating a newer platform with a shorter history in exchange for potentially lower costs on Saudi stock trades (once verified against Sahm's actual 0.105% published rate), tend to open Sahm Capital accounts. Some investors hold both, comparing live pricing on each before placing a given trade, since there's no CMA restriction on holding multiple regulated brokerage accounts.
Both platforms' pricing pages are the most reliable source for current commission rates — more reliable than either platform's own marketing copy, based on the discrepancies noted above.
Common questions
Sahm Capital's own pricing page cites a 0.105% commission on the net transaction value of Saudi stock trades, even though separate marketing describes "lifetime zero-brokerage commission." Confirm the current terms directly, since this is a genuine discrepancy between marketing and published pricing.
Derayah markets zero-commission trading, but its published fee schedule lists a small per-share charge on US stocks (around $0.0199/share plus VAT, roughly $2.29 on a 100-share trade). Tadawul trading itself appears to carry $0 commission per the same schedule.
Derayah Financial is Saudi Arabia's largest independent digital investment platform with a longer operating history. Sahm Capital is a newer entrant with a shorter track record, though both are licensed by the same regulator (the CMA).
Yes. There's no CMA restriction on holding multiple regulated brokerage accounts, and some investors compare live pricing across both before placing a given trade.