Sahem Trading & Investments Company launches first online trading for Palestinian stocks

Sahem's local and international clients and all prospective investors can now buy and sell Palestinian stocks online via the internet. Sahem is the largest brokerage house in Palestine. Its new service is expected to attract clients currently trading by traditional methods in the Palestinian capital market, investors from other regional equity markets and Palestinians living abroad who are interested in buying and selling stocks on the Palestine Securities Exchange (PSE).

"The concept of e-trade is one of the essential tools of the global economy. Online trading links the rest of the world directly to the Palestinian capital market. It's a great opportunity for Sahem's existing and new clients at home and abroad, and I believe it will be a shot in the arm for the Palestinian economy as well," said Samir H. Zraiq, General Manager of Sahem Trading & Investments Company. "A number of Palestinian publicly-traded companies will fit well into an international investor's portfolio, particularly those investors who keep an eye on emerging markets. The ability to buy and sell Palestinian stocks online removes the psychological and logistical barriers that used to discourage international clients from trading on the PSE."

The Palestine Securities Exchange authorized its broker members to begin offering e-trade services to its clients last week. Sahem is the first brokerage house in Palestine to offer the service.

Instead of waiting for the opening bell of 2-hour daily trading session in the Palestinian capital market, Sahem's e-trade clients can place trade orders 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the secure trading software program. Orders placed while the market is open placed in queue for execution immediately. Orders placed after hours placed in queue for execution at the opening of the next PSE trading session.

"The system is extremely simple and user-friendly - the steps involved in executing a trade are easily mastered in a few minutes", says Mohammad Siam, head trader at Sahem.

Sahem's web site features a step-by-step online demonstration which introduces clients to the online trading system and guides users through the process of buying or selling a stock. Sahem also allows users to establish a practice account in which they can experiment with the online trading process before actually executing a buy or sell order.

Sahem is using a tested and proven online trading platform designed and developed by software engineers at Orion Brokers, a financial software company based in the UAE.

Sahem Trading & Investments Company, established in 1999, is a subsidiary of Massar International, a holding company investing in financial markets, real estate and services in Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and the UAE.