OneRoyal Chairman Rayan Al-Annan on Making 2022 a Royal Year

Not all success stories are loud, and OneRoyal is a prime example of that. Founded in the US in 2006, the broker saw global expansion and opening offices from Europe to Australia.

In 15 years of successful operation, the company did not actively pursue PR and media exposure, opting to focus on providing its clients with premium trading experience instead. Now, the broker is stepping up its visibility. Today, we sat down with OneRoyal founder and Chairman Rayan El Annan to look at the company today, and the vision for success in 2022 and beyond.

From Florida to Australia, Cyprus, Lebanon - how did you end up with such geography?

I launched the company in 2006 in Florida. Regulated by the USA financial authorities (CFTC) and a member of the NFA at the time, it did exceptionally well. In mid-2008, we made a strategic decision to move the “ROYAL-RFXT.COM” brand to the Middle East (while maintaining the Global Support Office in the US). Driven by organic growth of the company and the ambition to expand globally, we acquired our CySec, ASIC, VFSC and FSA licenses. With our Market Research and Training arm based in Cairo, Egypt, we are exceptionally well positioned to service traders worldwide.

What have been the highlights of the year 2021 for OneRoyal?

This year, we uplifted the brand from Royal to OneRoyal, to emphasize that we are THE ONE broker that our clients need. Our ambition is to be “the last broker our clients will ever register with” - simply because the trading experience and the products we provide meet and exceed their expectations. To reflect this ambition, we have updated our logo and are now gearing up towards the launch of the new website and the client areas, with a shortened and streamlined onboarding process.

When it comes to the product offering, we introduced 15 ETFs in May. We also expanded our deposit methods by adding crypto (USDT, BTC, ETH and XRP) to meet the demand of crypto-focused traders. Later in the year, we went further on crypto by adding Dash and Bitcoin Cash to our CFD offering. And recently, we have introduced Bitcoin as an account base currency on the MT4 platform.

What are OneRoyal’s plans for 2022?

2022 feels very special as this is our anniversary year, and we start it by reflecting on our 15 Years of Excellence as we keep going forward with new projects and goals that will propel us to further growth. Our website and refreshed client areas are in the making. We are updating our onboarding flow, so clients could start trading in 60 seconds, while also stepping up our offering for institutional clients. In the coming weeks, we will be moving to the new premises in Limassol, which will be our global hub, and gaining a more prominent exposure on the scene, as well as in the media and industry events.

Does the new HQ mean more hiring in Cyprus?

Yes, we have been actively hiring lately, mostly with the purpose to upgrade our top management team and set the company up for strategic growth. We have hired key players to our C-suite and I personally have faith in our renewed vision and the team’s capabilities of executing it.

What is this renewed vision exactly?

Internally, we have formulated our vision as redefining the relationship between brokers and traders towards stability and trust, while building an environment where it becomes a norm for brokers to give back to their community through supporting education and growth, creating a better future for the next generations. Our future decisions regarding potential partnerships, sponsorships and CSR initiatives will be made to foster this vision.

It makes sense that OneRoyal puts emphasis on stability and trust between brokers and traders. In over 15 years in the market, the company did not have any regulatory controversies and accusations - which is uncommon in the industry known for its bad reputation. What is the secret of that?

I don’t believe there’s any secret. I founded OneRoyal when I was 25, and I have always been determined to build a company that lasts over 100 years. Hence, regulatory compliance has always been among our core values, and we take it very seriously. That said, I do not believe that OneRoyal is unique in that, and being compliant is not a special secret. In fact, there are a lot of honest and reliable players in the industry.

It’s unfortunate that there are some “bad apples”, be it companies or individuals, who mislead clients, thus contributing to the industry’s bad reputation. On a personal note, it is vital for me that we do things right, and I will always sacrifice short-term gains, no matter how big, for the long-term stability and future of OneRoyal.