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Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited is a United Arab Emirates–based financial technology company licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).[1]
The company operates a digital platform offering self-directed trading, managed portfolios, cryptocurrency access, cash management accounts, and private wealth advisory services.
Founded in Dubai in 2017, the company later established its principal office in Abu Dhabi.[2]
History
[edit]Sarwa was founded in Dubai in 2017 by Mark Chahwan, Jad Sayegh, and Nadine Mezher. In November 2018, Sarwa became the first participant to complete the Dubai Financial Services Authority's (DFSA) Innovation Testing Licence programme and receive a full license, after almost 12 months of testing and participation in the FinTech Hive at the DIFC.[3]
In 2019, Sarwa was selected as one of the World Economic Forum's "100 Arab start-ups shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution".[4]
In November 2021, Sarwa launched its stock trading app, Sarwa Trade, offering retail investors access to over 4,000 publicly traded stocks and exchange-traded funds listed on US exchanges.[5] The company expanded into crypto trading via its app in May 2022 with Sarwa Crypto. This enabled UAE customers to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies.[6]
In February 2023, Sarwa introduced its Sarwa Save account, a cash management account offering a 3% annual return. The company had more than 100,000 users at this time.[7]
Sarwa reported reaching profitability in 2024, sustaining it across all four quarters of that year.[8]
In October 2024, the company introduced options trading through its partnership with Alpaca, an API brokerage platform. At this point, Sarwa had surpassed $3 billion in cumulative trading volume.[9]
By May 2026, the company had become the first UAE fintech to surpass $1 billion in client assets. Rising retail-investor participation in the UAE and the broader growth of the GCC fintech sector were cited as the main reasons for this growth.[10]
Regulatory history
[edit]In May 2024, the DFSA imposed a financial penalty of US$191,100 (reduced from $390,000) on Sarwa Digital Wealth Limited for offering shares of its parent company without an approved prospectus. The regulator also found that the company had withheld financial information and supplied potential investors with metrics that gave a misleading impression of Sarwa's financial position. These acts were in breach of the Markets Law.[11]
The same day, the FSRA fined Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited US$122,500 for the same conduct within ADGM. The regulator found that Sarwa had contravened FSRA-administered regulations by making an Offer of Securities in ADGM without an Approved Prospectus. 144 investors subscribed to the offer and committed approximately US$2.1 million. The FSRA issued a requirement for Sarwa to undertake an independent review of its governance arrangements.[12]
Sarwa immediately reversed subscriptions and returned all the funds once notified of the concerns. The FSRA had reduced the penalties from their original amounts in recognition of Sarwa's cooperation.[13]
Funding
[edit]In August 2018, Sarwa raised $1.3 million in a pre-Series A investment round led by the UAE's Shorooq Investments and Women's Angel Investor Network (WAIN), and other regional and international investors.[14]
By January 2020, the company had secured $8.4 million in Series A funding. The funding round was led by Kuwait Projects Company (Kipco), with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), and Vision Ventures among the other investors. The funding took Sarwa's total funding to $10 million at that point, and the company subsequently opened an office in Abu Dhabi's tech startup space Hub71.[2]
By August 2021, Sarwa had raised $15 million in Series B funding, led by Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company, with participation from other investors including 500 Startups.[15][16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited". ADGM. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ a b "Robo-advisory Sarwa sets eyes on Abu Dhabi as it raises $8.4m in new financing". The National. 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Robo-advisory firm Sarwa, first to graduate from the DFSA's regulatory sandbox". DFSA. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Meet the 100 Arab start-ups shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution". World Economic Forum. 2019. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Sarwa introduces zero-commission trading platform". The National. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "UAE robo-advisory Sarwa introduces cryptocurrency trading". The National. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "UAE's Sarwa launches cash account with 3% interest return". Arabian Business. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "The Middle East's fintech 50 (2025): Sarwa". Forbes Middle East. 2025. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Fintech platform Sarwa launches options trading in the Middle East". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "UAE fintech Sarwa crosses $1bn in assets amid rise in retail trading". Arabian Business. 2026-05-04. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "The DFSA fines Sarwa Digital Wealth Limited for making a public offer of shares without an approved prospectus". DFSA. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "ADGM's financial regulator fines Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited USD 122,500 for making an offer of securities in ADGM without approved prospectus". ADGM. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Investment platform Sarwa fined by Abu Dhabi Global Market regulator and DFSA". The National. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Dubai-based Sarwa raises $1.3 million to help average user invest their savings". MENAbytes. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Sarwa secures $15m in funding round led by Mubadala". The National. 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Mubadala invests in robo-advisor Sarwa amid retail trading boom". Bloomberg. 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
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