Frequently Asked Questions

Opening an account

What documents do I need to open an account?

It depends on your classification:
  • Egyptian: National ID Number and Unified Code (if one exists(
  • Foreigner: Valid Passport Number and Unified Code (if one exists(
  • Minor: Digital Birth Certificate, National ID Number of natural guardian and Unified Code (if one exists)
  • Company: Valid Commercial Registration, Taxation Card and National ID Number of delegated persons (valid) and Unified Code (if one exists)

How can I open an account if I live outside Cairo?

  • Visit our website at www.aolbeg.com and choose “Open an Account” icon
  • Fill in an Account Opening Form under the Open an Account link on our Home page and one of our customer service officers will call you.
  • We will send you the contract by courier.
  • Fill in the details, sign the documents at the bottom of each page and ask your Bank to verify your signature.
  • Send the (verified) signed contract, plus a copy of your identification documents (National ID if Egyptian or Passport if Foreigner), to 15, Fawzi El Motaie Pasha st., Off Orouba st., Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt.

How much money do I need to open an account?

The minimum amount required is EGP 5,000 in the form of cash, stocks or both.

What are the fees for opening a new account?

There are no fees for opening an account.

Which Custodian Banks does Arabeya Online deal with?

  • Arabeya Online opens a custodian account for its clients at Audi Bank in case of not having a custodian or if the client wants to change his custodian Bank.
  • Arabeya Online also accepts dealing with the following 12 custodians: Arab African International Bank, Arab Bank, Ahli United Bank, Blom Bank, Delta Rasmala Holdings, Faisal Islamic Bank, Piraeus Bank, Al Watany Bank, Misr Iran Development Bank, Crédit Agricole Egypt (Cairo and Alexandria branches), CIB, and Bank Audi.
Note: Clients of Arabeya Online can only have one custodian. If you have stocks with a number of custodians, you must choose one and transfer all your stocks into that custodian.

Online Trading

Do I have to install a special program on my computer to be able to trade online?

  • No, our main online trading platform is browser-based (through our website www.aolbeg.com), using your own user name and password.
  • We recommend subscription to a desktop application empowered by MIST (Misr Information Services & Trading) which provides clients with real-time quotes and the ability to trade.

If I sell a stock, can I use the sales proceeds to buy on the same day?

  • Yes,  After selling a stock, the amount receivable is credited immediately to your account cash balance, which you can use to buy more stocks, but you cannot withdraw the proceeds from your account before the Sell Contract is settled.

Is Same Day Trading (T+0) available at Arabeya Online?

Yes, T+0 is available at Arabeya Online, subject to the limitations of allowable stocks and quantities, except for minors and that’s according to Market Capital Authority regulations.

Is there any difference between the fees for (T+0) trading and (T+2) normal trading?

Yes, The brokerage fees for (T+0) trading are half those for the normal trading

What if I did not sell my T+0 stocks in the same session?

In such cases, the stocks will be settled after 2 days.

Is there a GDR (Global Depositary Receipt) desk at Arabeya Online?

There are no GDR facilities at Arabeya Online.

What kind of security is used to protect the website?

Arabeya Online uses Firewalls and an SSL Certificate (secure sockets layer) to protect our website.

Can I place an order verbally over the phone?

Yes. Please call your account officer who will record the conversation and place the order for you.

What if I have a complaint, suggestion or question?

You may log into our website, write your complaint or suggestion, and we will respond within 48 hours. Arabeya Online management tracks all complaints and suggestions so as to guarantee speedy and satisfactory answers.

Order Management

What type of orders can be placed through Arabeya Online?

  • Normal Orders: there are 3 types of normal orders: BUY, SELL and SELL T+0.
  • Smart Orders: there are 2 types of smart orders: ORDER CANCELS ORDER and IF DONE ORDER.
  • Stop Loss Orders: there are 2 types of stop loss orders: SELL STOP LOSS and BUY STOP LIMIT.

What type of prices can orders be placed at?

There are two types of prices:
  • Market Price, which guarantees execution at the prevailing price in the market when the order reaches the EGX (The Egyptian Exchange).
  • Specific Price, which the client determines.

Are there any time limits on orders?

There are 3 variations of time validity:
  • DAY ORDER (DO)
  • GOOD TILL DATE (for a number of days)
  • GOOD TILL CANCELLED (GTC)

What steps do I need to follow when using the T+0 feature?

  • The stock must be one of the allowed stocks for same day trading.
  • When buying, you choose BUY.
  • When selling, you choose SELL SAME DAY.
  • The number of stocks sold cannot exceed the allowable quantity.

How can I make sure that my order is correct?

Two different messages will appear while placing the order:
  • First – Are you sure you want to place the order?
  • Second –Order Number (xxxx), Buy or Sell (xxxx), Number of Stocks (xxxx), Stock Name (xxxx) and Expiry Date (xxxx).

May I change or cancel a pending order?

Yes. As long as the order is pending it can be changed or cancelled, but you can only change the price and quantity, not the expiry date (time validity).

Does changing an order affect its sequence in the queue?

Yes. If an order is changed it takes a new sequence.

Can I see all the orders placed on my account?

Yes. You can do this via the “All Orders” screen, which shows all the activity on your account, such as pending orders, executed orders, partially executed orders, expired orders and cancelled orders.

Can I see all my executed orders?

Yes, Via the Executed Orders screen.

Does Buying or Selling immediately affect my cash?

Yes, The cost or proceeds of trading are instantly reflected in the cash balance of your account.

How long does it take an order to reach the stock market?

It takes less than 5 seconds with a proper ADSL connection.

Can I buy stocks in US Dollars without having any in my account?

No, you can only buy with the same currency you have in your account.

Will I be able to invest in IPOs (Initial Public Offerings)?

  • Yes. Arabeya Online provides this service to its clients for a commission of 0.5% with a minimum commission of EGP 20 and a maximum of EGP 500.
  • When the company has access to an IPO, it will send an email to clients containing all the relevant information, such as due date, entitlement, last date for accepting requests to the company , IPO percentage, last date for accepting requests at the Bank, payment deadline and (indicative) stock price.
  • If you want to subscribe to the offer, you have to fill in the form available on our website or contact your account officer by email or telephone (16225), specifying the number of shares you would like. Taking into consideration that the money should be available in your account in the required date.

Conditional Orders

Order cancels order (OCO)

  • An OCO is an order, which upon execution cancels another pending order. This option gives you the ability to use the available purchasing power in your account to place two buying orders at the same time, or sell one of two different stocks. The original order must be placed normally by selecting (Add New Order). To add an OCO order, you then go to the (Change/Cancel Order) screen and choose OCO at the bottom of the page.
  • The second order should be the same type as the original one, which means that if the original order is Sell then the second order should be Sell, and if the original order is Buy then the second should also be Buy.
  • The 2 orders should be placed on 2 different stocks.
  • The order validity can be a Day Order (DO) or Good Till Cancelled (GTC)
  • The order can be placed on any stock.
  • Orders can be placed before, during or after the trading session.
  • To place an OCO order, the price should be 2% above or below the market price (according to the order type).
  • The 2 orders will be sent to the stock market and when one of them is fully or partially executed, the other will be cancelled.

If Done Order

  • When an order is sent to the market if the original order is executed.
  • The 2 orders have to be different types, meaning that if the original order is a Sell order then the second order has to be a Buy order and if the original order is a Buy order then the second order has be a Sell order.
  • If the original order is executed and was connected to another order, then the connected order will be sent to the stock market. When using If Done Order, the original order should be placed normally by selecting (Add New Order). To add an If Done Order, you then go to the (Change/Cancel Order) screen and choose If Done Order at the bottom of the page.
  • One or two orders can be connected to the original order. If two are connected then one will be a Take Profit Order and the other a Stop Loss Order, with the Take Profit Order sent to the stock market first.

Stop Loss order

There are two kinds of Stop Loss orders:
  • Sell Stop Loss. Selling at a lower price than the current market price.
  • Buy Stop Limit. Buying at a higher price than the current market price. Order validity can be a Day Order (DO) or a Good Till Cancelled (GTC) order. Orders can be placed on any trading stock.

Cash Management

Can I deposit or withdraw cash at Arabeya Online’s office or agent offices?

  • No. Arabeya Online does not allow direct cash deposits or withdrawals from its Head Office or agent offices.
  • You can deposit cash in your sub-account at the Arab African International Bank or Bank Audi (opened by us) or in Arabeya Online accounts at CIB, Banque Misr or National Bank of Egypt, if there are no Arab African International Bank branches near you. To do this you must notify us by filling in the form available on our website or by contacting your account officer by email or telephone; Our hotline:16225.
  • To withdraw money, either by a Bank check or transfer, you must fill in the form on our website or contact your account officer by email or telephone (16225). We can either issue a Bank check or transfer the money to your personal account at any bank. Clients do not pay any transfer fees, in case of transferring to Arab African International Bank, Audi and Ahli United Bank; In case of transferring to CIB, EGP10 will be deducted.

Can I check my cash balance on the website?

Yes. You can do this by clicking on to Position Summary, where you will find your Net Cash Balance, Cash Available for Withdrawal, Cash Available for Buying, Frozen Cash and Total Portfolio Value (Cash + Stocks).

Can I check my stock portfolio on the website?

Yes,  You can check your stock portfolio status through Detailed Position, where you will find Stock Name, Total Quantity, under settlement quantity, held quantity,  Quantity Available for Selling T+2, Quantity Available for Selling T+0, currency , average cost ,and other information such as Market Value, market price ,unrealized Gain/loss.

Real - Time Quotes

Can I follow the market prices in Arabeya Online’s basic platform (www.aolbeg.com)

Yes, now you can follow the market prices through the Market Watch on our Web page.

How can I check the real-time prices of stocks?

  • We offer our clients AOLB Market Watch with a cost of EGP 25 monthly
  • We offer our clients MIST costing EGP 150 monthly.
  • Clients may also subscribe to Mubasher.
  • The fees are debited from your account monthly.

Margin Trading

What is a margin loan?

A margin loan is effectively a personal loan, attracting interest, which gives you more leverage to buy additional securities. The money is added to your account and is guaranteed (100%) by the value of margin trading stocks in your portfolio (Stocks against which we can offer a loan are specified by EFSA and EGX). The percentages offered are according to the number of stocks in the client's portfolio as below:  
  • We offer the client 50% in case he owns only 1 stock.
  • We offer the client 80% in case he owns 2 stocks; given that each stock represents not less than 10% of the portfolio value.
  • We offer the client 90% in case he owns 3 stocks or more; given that each stock represents not less than 10% of the portfolio value.
  • Maximum Loan to be offered is EGP1.5M; can be increased by signing a certain letter to be sent to Bank Audi.
 

How do I start margin trading?

You begin by signing the following documents: Bank Audi's Contract as custodian. Margin Trading Contract. Query Delegation. Financing Loan Request for Margin Trading.

What else do I need?

Arabeya Online requires a sub-account for margin trading, which can be activated by: Depositing cash in your sub account, or Transferring same day stocks from your normal account to your margin account.

Can I buy OTC (Over-The-Counter) stocks through my margin trading account?

No, Clients can only buy Same Day Trading (T+0) and Margin Trading stocks.

How do you calculate the interest on my margin loan?

There are two methods:
  • First Method: an annual interest rate of 4% above the official lending and discount rate announced by the Central Bank of Egypt. Interest is calculated daily and charged monthly on the used portion of the loan.
  • Second Method: A rate of 1.65% of the highest amount of loan used and calculated at the end of each month. Note: If you do not use your margin lending facility, Arabeya online will not deduct any interest. The same applies if a client uses the facility for same day trading. i.e. interest will not be deducted.

Can Arabeya Online force clients to settle their margin trading accounts?

  • Bank Audi sends a Margin Call E-mail , if the debt percentage exceeded 60% and if the debt percentage closes at 65% during any session, Bank Audi will sell some stocks during the next session aiming to decrease the debt percentage to less than 60%.

Can I sell my owned stocks at the beginning of the loan for margin trading or will the stocks be encumbered?

You can sell the stocks at any time, as they will not be encumbered.

Can I withdraw from, or stop margin trading?

Yes. You can close your margin trading account whenever you like on the condition that any debts are settled beforehand.

When are interest and fees deducted?

At the end of each month.