Sarwa official logo
Overall rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ (4/5)
Regulation: ADGM/FSRA (UAE entity) Active in: UAE
Verdict at a glance
| What works well | Where it falls short |
|---|---|
| ✓ Tiered annual management fee (0.85% down to 0.50% as your balance grows), competitive at higher balances | ✗ UAE-only, no Saudi Arabia or wider GCC entity at the time of writing |
| ✓ Sarwa Trade offers $0-commission US stock trading with no minimum, within the same ADGM/FSRA-regulated app | ✗ Halal portfolio option exists (Sarwa Halal) but has its own minimum and cost structure to check separately |
| ✓ Globally diversified, low-cost ETF portfolios matched to your risk profile, including a dedicated halal portfolio | ✗ $500 minimum deposit to open a managed account (Sarwa Trade itself has no minimum) |
| ✓ ADGM/FSRA-regulated UAE entity, with client asset segregation under ADGM rules | ✗ Fund selection, while well-diversified, is less extensive than a global self-directed broker's full universe |
| ✓ A natural progression from managed investing to self-directed trading without switching providers | ✗ At the entry-level 0.85% tier, fees are meaningfully higher than building the same ETF portfolio yourself through Interactive Brokers |
Compare with other Robo-advisors and digital wealth managers
Overview
Sarwa was the first robo-advisor to launch in the UAE, and more than half a decade later its core proposition remains a globally diversified portfolio of low-cost ETFs built around your risk profile, with a $500 minimum to open a managed account. The management fee is tiered rather than flat: approximately 0.85% a year on balances up to roughly AED 36,700-50,000 (sources vary slightly on the exact threshold — confirm current bands directly with Sarwa), stepping down to around 0.50% on larger balances, plus the underlying ETFs' own expense ratios. Sarwa also offers a dedicated halal portfolio (Sarwa Halal), built from Sharia-screened equity ETFs and sukuk, for investors who need Sharia-compliant investing.
What we think is genuinely distinctive about Sarwa, and the reason it earns its place in this guide alongside platforms with broader product ranges, is Sarwa Trade: a companion self-directed US stock trading account with $0 commission and no minimum deposit, available within the same app and the same ADGM/FSRA-regulated relationship as the managed Sarwa portfolio.
This creates a natural progression we don't see replicated elsewhere in this category: an investor can start with the managed Sarwa portfolio (the more 'beginner' choice), and as their knowledge and confidence grow, allocate a portion of new contributions to self-directed positions via Sarwa Trade, all without opening a second account with a second provider, and without leaving ADGM/FSRA's regulatory perimeter.
The trade-off is breadth rather than simplicity. Sarwa is UAE-only (no Saudi Arabia or wider GCC entity at the time of writing), and while the halal portfolio option exists, its minimums and exact fee structure should be checked separately from the standard portfolio. Its fund selection, while well-diversified and low-cost, is also less extensive than what you'd access through a global self-directed broker. For the audience it's built for, UAE residents wanting a professionally managed, transparent entry into investing with room to grow into self-directed trading later, it remains one of the best-designed products in the region.
To open an account with Sarwa, click here.
Pros and cons
Strengths
Tiered annual management fee (roughly 0.85% down to 0.50% as balance grows), competitive at higher balances
Sarwa Trade offers $0-commission US stock trading with no minimum, within the same ADGM/FSRA-regulated app
Globally diversified, low-cost ETF portfolios matched to your risk profile, plus a dedicated halal portfolio option
ADGM/FSRA-regulated UAE entity with required client asset segregation
A natural progression from managed investing to self-directed trading without switching providers
Drawbacks
UAE-only, no Saudi Arabia or wider GCC entity at the time of writing
Halal portfolio's minimum and exact fee structure should be confirmed separately from the standard portfolio
$500 minimum deposit to open a managed account (Sarwa Trade itself has no minimum)
Fund selection, while well-diversified, is less extensive than a global self-directed broker's full universe
At the entry-level 0.85% tier, fees are meaningfully higher than building the same ETF portfolio yourself through Interactive Brokers
Fees and costs
Sarwa's managed portfolio charges a tiered annual management fee, roughly 0.85% on lower balances (up to approximately AED 36,700-50,000, depending on source — confirm the current threshold directly with Sarwa), stepping down to around 0.50% on larger balances, on top of the underlying ETFs' own (typically low) expense ratios. This applies to both the standard portfolio and the Sarwa Halal option, though halal-portfolio specifics should be confirmed separately.
Sarwa Trade, the companion self-directed account, charges $0 commission on US stock trades and has no minimum deposit. It operates within the same app and ADGM/FSRA-regulated relationship as the managed portfolio, so you can hold both side by side.
The $500 minimum applies to opening a managed Sarwa portfolio; Sarwa Trade can be opened with no minimum. As with any platform, confirm current fee schedules, tier thresholds, and any FX conversion charges directly with Sarwa before funding an account.
| Fee item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Managed portfolio fee | Tiered: approx. 0.85% on lower balances, stepping down to approx. 0.50% on larger balances |
| Sarwa Trade (self-directed US stocks) | $0 commission, no minimum deposit |
| Managed portfolio minimum | $500 |
Regulation and safety
Sarwa's UAE entity is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) — note this is a change from Sarwa's earlier DFSA/DIFC licence, which was withdrawn in 2024. This is a different regulatory perimeter from the DFSA/DIFC. Verify current investor-protection arrangements directly with Sarwa, alongside standard client asset segregation requirements.
Sarwa is currently UAE-only, residents of Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries should confirm directly whether Sarwa is available to them, as the platform has historically focused on the UAE market specifically.
Both the managed Sarwa portfolio and the self-directed Sarwa Trade account operate under the same ADGM/FSRA-regulated entity, so the regulatory protections that apply to one generally extend to the other, confirm specifics directly with Sarwa for your account type.
Who Sarwa is right for, and who should look elsewhere
Sarwa is a good fit if you:
Are UAE residents comfortable with a tiered managed-portfolio fee that gets cheaper as their balance grows
Have $500 or more to start a managed portfolio
Want a single app that covers both managed investing and a path to self-directed US stock trading
Want the option of a dedicated halal portfolio without switching providers
Consider an alternative if you:
Want Wahed Invest's longer-established, independently governed Shariah board process specifically (Sarwa's halal option is newer and worth comparing directly)
Are based outside the UAE and need a regulated entity covering their country of residence (consider Wahed Invest or Baraka, both available in Saudi Arabia)
Have less than $500 to start and want a managed portfolio with no minimum (consider StashAway)
Want the lowest possible long-term cost and are comfortable managing their own ETF portfolio (consider Interactive Brokers)
How to choose: Sarwa vs. the alternatives
Use this quick guide to match the right platform to your situation:
If you have a larger balance and want fees to fall as it grows: Sarwa's tiered structure (roughly 0.85% down to 0.50%) rewards larger balances, provided you can meet the $500 minimum — compare the exact tier thresholds directly with Sarwa before assuming a rate.
If you have less than $500 to start, or want recurring investments from a smaller amount: StashAway's $0 minimum and $50/month recurring investments are more accessible at the entry level.
If Sharia compliance is a requirement: Sarwa now offers a dedicated halal portfolio alongside its standard one; Wahed Invest and Baraka remain worth comparing directly, particularly for their longer track record on Shariah governance.
If you want a managed portfolio now but expect to want self-directed investing later: Sarwa's companion Sarwa Trade account gives you a built-in path to self-directed US stock trading within the same ADGM/FSRA-regulated app.
COST COMPARISON IN PRACTICE For a UAE-based expat investing $1,000 a month into a Sarwa managed portfolio, the applicable tier fee, roughly 0.85% at this balance level (before it steps down at higher balances) on a portfolio that grows to roughly $12,000 over a year, works out to a little over $100 a year, on top of the underlying ETFs' own expense ratios. Building the same diversified ETF portfolio directly through Interactive Brokers would cost closer to $5-$15 a year in total. That difference is the cost of Sarwa's automatic rebalancing and risk-matched portfolio construction. As the balance grows into the lower fee tier over time, the gap narrows. For an investor who later opens Sarwa Trade alongside the managed account, self-directed US stock purchases carry $0 commission, so the only ongoing cost remains the tiered management fee on the managed portion. |
Ready to get started? To open an account with Sarwa, click here.
How to open an account
1. Download the Sarwa app or visit its website and begin the ADGM/FSRA-regulated UAE onboarding process.
2. Complete the risk questionnaire, which Sarwa uses to match you to one of its diversified ETF portfolios.
3. Provide identification documents (passport, Emirates ID or equivalent residency documentation) to verify your account.
4. Fund your managed account with the $500 minimum, or open Sarwa Trade separately with no minimum if you want to start with self-directed US stock trading.
5. Set up recurring contributions to your managed portfolio if you want automatic monthly investing.
6. As your confidence grows, consider allocating a portion of new contributions to Sarwa Trade for self-directed positions, while keeping your core diversified portfolio in the managed account.
Alternatives to consider
StashAway: if you want no minimum deposit and recurring investments from $50/month, with its own tiered fee structure and thresholds
Wahed Invest: if Sharia-compliant investing is a requirement, with independent Shariah board oversight
Interactive Brokers: if you want to manage your own diversified ETF portfolio for the lowest long-term cost
Frequently asked questions: Sarwa
It's tiered, not flat: roughly 0.85% a year on lower balances, stepping down to around 0.50% on larger balances (the exact threshold varies by source — confirm the current bands directly with Sarwa), similar in spirit to StashAway's tiered structure. Always confirm the current fee schedule directly with Sarwa, as terms can be updated.
Sarwa Trade is a self-directed US stock trading account with $0 commission and no minimum deposit, available within the same app as the managed Sarwa portfolio and under the same ADGM/FSRA-regulated entity. You can hold both a managed portfolio and a Sarwa Trade account simultaneously.
Yes — Sarwa offers a dedicated halal portfolio (Sarwa Halal), built from Sharia-screened equity ETFs and sukuk, alongside its standard managed portfolio. Its specific minimum and fee terms should be confirmed directly with Sarwa, as they can differ from the standard portfolio. Wahed Invest and Baraka remain worth comparing for their longer track record on Shariah governance.
Sarwa is currently UAE-only. Residents of Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries should confirm directly with Sarwa whether an account is available to them, or consider Wahed Invest or Baraka, which both have confirmed Saudi-licensed entities.
No, the $500 minimum applies to opening a managed Sarwa portfolio. Sarwa Trade, the self-directed US stock account, can be opened with no minimum deposit.