Robinhood Secures Dubai Regulatory Approval for Crypto and…

Robinhood Markets has secured authorization from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to bring its retail investment platform to the Middle East, with the US brokerage establishing a regional headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and planning to go live in 2027. The company announced the approval on October 22, 2026.

The licence is held by Robinhood MENA Limited, which appears on the DFSA public register under reference F012264 with a licence dated July 20, 2026. It allows the firm to arrange deals in investments and provide custody services to retail clients across 10 DFSA-recognized asset classes, spanning shares, futures, options, exchange-traded funds, investment tokens, crypto tokens and other regulated securities and derivatives.

Licence scope and leadership

The approval is specifically a DFSA authorization within the DIFC, where the regulator is the DFSA. Crypto businesses operating elsewhere in Dubai typically fall under the separate Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, so the Robinhood permission should not be characterised as a VARA crypto exchange licence. The company said its regional business will be led by Salah Kaddoura, appointed senior executive officer and president of Robinhood MENA, who will oversee local operations and business development. Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood's senior vice president and general manager of Crypto and International, pointed to rising demand for accessible investment services across the Middle East and North Africa.

Robinhood has not given a specific launch date, disclosed which cryptocurrencies it will support, or set out initial customer eligibility rules. The announcement represents regulatory clearance and a planned market entry rather than live crypto trading, and the DFSA authorization does not by itself grant unrestricted access to clients throughout the region, where individual jurisdictions maintain their own requirements.

The Dubai move extends a broader international push that combines traditional securities with digital assets. In June 2026, Robinhood completed its purchase of Canadian crypto platform WonderFi, adding the Bitbuy and Coinsquare exchanges, and earlier in 2026 it named Singapore as its Asia-Pacific headquarters.

Dubai's regulated investment sector has been expanding quickly. Industry data cited by Finance Magnates put the number of authorized brokerage firms in the DIFC at 72 as of March 31, 2026, up from 49 in 2022. Robinhood will nonetheless compete with established international brokers and crypto exchanges already serving regional clients. A combined offer of equity trading, crypto access and custody could set the platform apart, though pricing, supported assets and onboarding arrangements have yet to be revealed.