HSBC has targeted the UAE for the launch of its new global digital trading platform World Trader which is aimed at the mass affluent market.

The bank says mass affluent customers are increasingly engaging with investment opportunities around the world.

The UAE is being targeted due to a surging demand for wealth services in the country, according to HSBC.

The bank has found that 55% of surveyed UAE investors plan to increase engagements with other markets.

With the UAE being one of the most engaged online investment markets globally, the platform is being rolled out there first before being extended to other Asian and Middle East markets.

Called WorldTrader, the platform allows customers to trade equities, ETFs and bonds online and via a mobile app. WorldTrader currently has access to 25 markets and 77 exchanges around the world.

The platform has been created in partnership with Interactive Brokers which offers automated trade execution and custody in over 150 markets.

Nuno Matos, CEO of wealth and personal banking at HSBC, said: “WorldTrader provides investors – both established and new – a secure way to trade and manage their investments on a fully digital platform and is one of many ways we are investing in our digital wealth capabilities.” 

WorldTrader offers instant access to HSBC funds and prospective customers can use a simulated trading platform, learning how to invest with a £100,000 portfolio.

The launch comes soon after HSBC revealed research that wealthier investors were likely to return to equity investing in the coming years. The Affluent Investor Snapshot 2024 found that though many affluent investors currently invest in cash, signs of falling interest rates may prompt reallocation towards riskier assets.