Robinhood Gets Dubai License, Plans 2027 Middle East Launch
Robinhood Markets has received approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to offer its investing app in the Middle East, with plans to launch in 2027 from its new regional headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The US-based trading platform will be based in the DIFC, with authorization covering trading and custody in all 10 asset classes permitted by the DFSA. These include equities, cryptocurrencies, exchange-traded funds and investment tokens. Salah Kaddoura, senior executive officer and president of Robinhood MENA, will lead the local team.
Robinhood joins a free zone that has attracted a steady flow of brokerage firms. The DIFC counted 72 authorized brokerage firms as of March 31, 2026, up from 49 in 2022, according to DFSA figures compiled by FM Intelligence.
The DIFC is one of the world's most important financial hubs.
Global Expansion Strategy
Dubai follows Singapore, which Robinhood named its Asia-Pacific headquarters in April after receiving in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In June, the company closed the WonderFi acquisition, which brought it the Bitbuy and Coinsquare crypto exchanges in Canada, serving more than 1 million funded customers outside the US.
Investment tokens, one of the categories on the DFSA list, are a product Robinhood already sells outside the US. Trading in its stock tokens reached $15 billion in the first 100 days of its own blockchain, according to company figures.
Competitive Landscape
Robinhood will face competition from several established players in the Middle East. eToro obtained a full license in Abu Dhabi in November 2023 to act as a broker in securities, derivatives and crypto assets. Interactive Brokers opened a DIFC office in 2024 and added Dubai and Abu Dhabi stocks last December.
Local competition includes Baraka, a DIFC-based app that began offering shares listed on the Dubai Financial Market and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in September. Revolut is also moving into the same customer base from the crypto side, having received in-principle approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in July.
The demand for modern, accessible financial tools across this region is immense.
Market Potential
Despite the growing interest, the Middle East remains a relatively small market for retail trading. According to FM Intelligence's heat map, the Middle East and North Africa accounted for 4.1% of organic visits to retail FX and CFD broker websites in the third quarter of 2026, compared to 42% for Europe.
Several CFD brokers have chosen mainland UAE instead of the DIFC. XTB moved up to Category 1 and 2 licenses from the Capital Market Authority (CMA), whose framework allows brokers to market to retail clients in all seven emirates.
Robinhood's expansion into the Middle East represents its latest strategic move to diversify beyond its core US market as the company seeks growth opportunities in emerging financial centers worldwide.
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