US trading platform Robinhood has been authorised by the Dubai Financial Services Authority to offer retail investing services in the Middle East, the company confirmed this week, marking its first regulated foothold in the region.
The licence allows Robinhood to provide trading and custody services across ten asset classes approved by the DFSA, including equities, exchange-traded funds, cryptocurrencies and investment tokens. The firm will base its regional headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre, joining a growing roster of global fintech names that have chosen the free zone as their MENA base.
Robinhood chairman and chief executive Vlad Tenev said the DIFC is "one of the world's most important financial hubs," adding that the expansion brings the company closer to its goal of letting "anyone, anywhere" own high-quality financial assets. Johann Kerbrat, the company's senior vice president for crypto and international markets, described the DIFC as one of the most dynamic centres for financial innovation, sitting at the heart of a rapidly growing wave of retail investors across the region. Salah Kaddoura, who will lead Robinhood's MENA operations, said demand for modern, accessible financial tools in the region is immense.
The company has not disclosed a pricing structure, specific launch markets or exact product line-up, but says services are expected to go live in 2027.
The move comes as Dubai continues to attract international brokerages and crypto platforms seeking a regulated base to serve investors across the Gulf and wider MENA region, reinforcing the emirate's ambitions as a financial hub for retail and institutional capital alike.