Mark Chahwan, Jad Sayegh, and Nadine Mezher started Sarwa in 2017 with conviction, before there was much reason to have it. Retail investing in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region was virtually nonexistent, and skeptics argued the MENA region lacked the financial culture to support a personal finance app. Seven years later, their company has managed $1 billion in cumulative investments, serving over 200,000 users across the GCC and Southeast Asia. The milestone validates what the founders insisted from the start: people in the region were hungry for accessible investing tools, they were just waiting for someone to build them.
The journey from startup to over one billion dollars invested reveals how Sarwa outmaneuvered global competitors, while simultaneously fending off regional challengers. Two of the three founders are 33 years old, having built their company during the most volatile period for global markets in recent memory. Their timing proved prescient: the 2020 pandemic accelerated retail trading demand just as Sarwa’s infrastructure matured. Deposits doubled during this volatile period, providing signs of life for the young start-up. This was a stark illustration of the momentum that occurs once investor confidence takes hold.
Betting Against Convention
Chahwan, Sayegh, and Mezher recognized a market failure that long established players ignored. Traditional financial firms catered almost exclusively to high-net-worth individuals, requiring minimum investments that excluded ordinary wage earners. Local banks offered modest returns on savings despite central bank rate increases, leaving capital underutilized. The founders saw an opportunity to build a platform that is both simple enough for novices and sophisticated enough for active traders pursuing options, cryptocurrencies, and ETFs.
Sarwa became the first in the MENA region to offer options trading, a complex financial instrument typically reserved for experienced investors. The move demonstrated confidence in their user base’s capacity to learn and engage with advanced products. Chahwan later acknowledged a fundamental miscalculation in their early strategy: they assumed clients wanted hands-off, automated portfolio management. Post-pandemic behavior proved otherwise. Retail investors craved control, even if it meant making mistakes along the way. Sarwa pivoted from robo-advisory services to a trade-first brokerage model, a decision that turbocharged growth and led to the company’s first quarterly profit in early 2024 with a 33% net margin.
Regulatory Navigation And Market Credibility
Operating within the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s regulatory framework, under the supervision of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, positioned Sarwa as a legitimate alternative to unregulated platforms. Initially, the company had graduated from the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s regulatory sandbox, becoming the first to successfully complete the program, which was designed to test financial products in a controlled environment. Recognition followed: Forbes Middle East featured Sarwa on its cover in 2023 and ranked the company 12th on its Top 20 Fintechs list in 2024, and again in 12th place in the 2025 Middle East Fintech 50 rankings.
The platform maintains a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Google Reviews, reflecting user satisfaction despite competition from both international giants and scrappy local startups. Sarwa differentiates itself through lower fees, an intuitive interface, and a broader product suite that spans beginner investing, active trading, high-yield accounts offering 4% annual interest, and cryptocurrency access. The company raised $25 million across funding rounds, with Series B led by Mubadala Investment Company and participation from Kuwait Projects Company and Shorooq Partners.
Sustained Growth Trajectory
Sarwa averaged 100% year-over-year growth for three consecutive years preceding the $1 billion cumulative investments milestone. The company surpassed 10 billion AED in total trading volume, demonstrating active user engagement rather than passive account holdings. Revenue increased 124% from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024, driven by higher trading activity and a diversified revenue stream across its product lineup. Sarwa Trade remains the bestselling service, offering low-cost trading of U.S. stocks and ETFs while providing access to markets that were previously difficult for regional investors to reach.
The founders’ youth belies their operational sophistication. At 33, Chahwan and Sayegh operate within a GCC fintech ecosystem projected to grow at a 15% compound annual growth rate through 2030, with digital wallets expected to comprise 40% of retail transactions by year’s end. Their platform serves a generation of investors who distrust legacy financial institutions and demand transparency, speed, and educational resources. Sarwa’s blog and social channels prioritize financial literacy, addressing the “getting started” barrier that prevents beginners from entering markets. The company’s commitment to education complements its product strategy, creating a virtuous cycle where informed users trade more frequently and recommend the platform to their peers.
About Sarwa
Sarwa is a leading investing and money management platform on a mission to help everyone put their money to work. The one-stop app offers hands-off auto-investing with Sarwa Invest, do-it-yourself trading of stocks, ETFs, and crypto with Sarwa Trade, as well as a high-yield cash account with Sarwa Save. Sarwa makes investing easy and affordable by using technology to drive down costs.
The platform offers a simple user experience with no complicated financial jargon. The company is led by a team of financial and technology experts and is backed by top regional and international funds.
Sarwa contributes to future economic sectors primarily by looking after retail investors. Financial institutions tend to focus on the top 0.1%. Still, Sarwa ensures that the public has access to both sound financial advice and powerful financial tools to help investors in their journey towards financial independence.
Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) as a Category 3C entity in the ADGM. Sarwa Classic, Sarwa X, Sarwa Crypto, Sarwa Trade, and Sarwa Save are products offered through Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited.
