MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2014 KHALEEJ TIMES [1012767] KHALEEJ TIMES / ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT Over the years, many brokers ap- peared in the mark et only to vanish a few years later. Windsor Brokers has been around for 25 years. What were the main strengths that kept the company strong enough to over- come the various economic, political and financial challenges of the past two decades? I would say our experience, security and professionalism. You know, it is no coincidence that the President of the Republic of Cyprus was our Guest of Honour at our Silver anniversary cele- bration. We have been active in the fi- nancial markets for over 25 years and are known to be conservative, for im- plementing and adhering to strict risk management policies and internal pro- cedures. These are crucial for maintain- ing the right balance and credibility with the authorities, clients and busi- ness partners. How is Windsor Brokers a secure in- vestment firm? In 2013, we were ranked as one of the top 10 CIFs (Cost, Insurance and Freight) based on capital reserves and actually the biggest in its field. Based on our latest financial reports, our capi- tal adequacy ratio as on December 31, 2013, was equal to 40.14 per cent, which is well above the minimum re- quired ratio of 8 per cent. Windsor is also a European invest- ment firm that is licensed and regulated by CySec and authorised/registered by major European entities. What kind of financial products/ser- vices does Windsor offer to retail and corporate investors? Windsor offers FX, CFDs and Futures OTC (Over the Counter) trading, Binary Options and GWAZY. Our partnership programmes include Business Intro- ducer, White Label, Web Affiliate, Li- quidity Provider and Sponsorships. What was Windsor’s first big achievement? Well, everyone knows the Metatrader platform but not many know that Wind- sor was actually the first broker to offer the first version of Metatrader — ‘MT3’. Windsor also created and adopted the term ‘lot’ for FX trading, simplified ac- count statements and calculations of rollovers, commissions. What is Windsor’s latest innovation? Our latest innovation is GWAZY. We were part of the creation and develop- ment of the latest trading platform and method available in the market today. We are also acting as the liquidity pro- vider and are cooperating with Gwazy Ltd for the creation of new trading methods, which will be integrated with- in the same platform. Another mega innovation was the GWAZY Brokers Solution, which was launched during one of the biggest B2B conventions, the iFXEXPO. It is a unique white label solution where front end and back-end are web-based, only takes two weeks to setup and includes everything from A to Z; platform, man- ager, risk management, tools, media kit and support. You were a key person for the intro- duction of FX trading in Cyprus as you established the first CIF. Did you ex- pect Windsor to become one of the most renowned brokers? We began our operations in 1988 with only a handful of employees. Year after year, we worked hard and expand- ed gradually in order not to compromise the quality of our products, the ethical manner in which we offer our services and support proficiency. But I did not do it on my own; I have my team to thank for that which consists of 120 persons today. You know, loyalty begins from within a company and at Windsor we are committed; many employees have been with us for over 10 years. If you had to do it all over again, would Cyprus still be your establishment destination? I would, for both personal and busi- ness reasons. From a personal aspect, Cyprus reminds me of my home coun- try Palestine. It has many similarities with regards to culture, climate, tradi- tions and principles. The beauty of Cy- prus is that you can grow profession- ally without compromising your quality of life. From a business aspect, the funda- mental reasons are Cyprus’ solid juris- diction, strategic geographical location, favourable tax system, good infrastruc- ture and highly qualified personnel. Johny Abuaitah, CEO of Windsor Brokers Ltd, talks about the company and its secure trade platform in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times: TRUSTWORTHY CONDUITS Johny Abuaitah FOR centuries, precious metals have been used by various tribes and civilisations to por- tray their wealth and high status. Gold and silver were not only traded as coins and cur- rencies — archaeological discoveries revealed that they were also used as jewellery probably long before recorded history. Apart from its direct monetary value, re- cent technological advancements discovered that gold is also useful in the production of electronics components. However, one can argue that the shiny yellow metal is most fa- mous for investment purposes. The main rea- son for that is because gold tends to increase in value during periods of economic and geo- political uncertainty and hence its status as a ‘safe haven’ asset. Traders often turn to gold investing to hedge against inflation and also to take advantage of investment opportuni- ties when the US dollar’s price decreases. Recent rise of gold prices Similar to gold, silver also provides good opportunities in entering the commodities markets. It is sometimes referred to as ‘gold’s poor cousin’ but don’t get the wrong idea as silver is another great to diversify a portfolio and is an alternative to gold as a safe haven investment. Silver’s growing demand surpris- ingly comes from the industrial sector as it is used in an expanding list of industrial prod- ucts such as electronics, cars and the solar power industry. It would be naive to assess the true value of gold by studying short-term price fluctuations as there is evidence that despite the decreased supply of the precious metal over the years, there is an ever-increasing demand for it. The same applies for silver; don’t be surprised as on-going technological advancements de- mand increasing quantities. Trading gold and silver has become in- creasingly popular and companies like easy- forex make it easy for anyone to access these markets online. Alongside a full currency, commodities and metals offering, easy- forex has some unique benefits traders look at for flexible leverage up to 1:600 and high- ly competitive, fixed spreads. It offers a safe trading environment with client fund secu- rity and more importantly guarantees stops, meaning no matter how volatile the markets get, traders always know what they are pay- ing. It also provides advanced charting and free technical reports tracking the gold and silver rates at any given time. Gold may be traded as a forex option — one of the more exciting financial instruments to enter the market recently. easy-forex has some unique benefits for flexible leverage up to 1:600 and highly competitive, fixed spreads James Trescothick, Senior Dealer, easy-forex RISK WARNING: Forex, Options, Commodities and CFDs (OTC Trading) are leveraged products that carry a substantial risk of loss up to your invested capital and may not be suitable for everyone. Please ensure that you understand fully the risks involved and do not invest money you cannot afford to lose. The information provided can under no circumstances be considered as a recommendation to engage in any trade. — EF Worldwide Ltd Trading in stocks, commodities and bullion offer a good alternative for long-term wealth creation. While you work hard and save diligently, money invested wisely can reap huge benefits and build a nest egg for a comfortable retirement. Here are three of the leading names in the industry, sharing their views on foreign exchange, stocks and bullion markets. Get precious with gold and silver trading