Robinhood gets Dubai’s green light: crypto gets a MENA launch pad

Robinhood Markets has secured approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to launch its retail investing platform in the Middle East from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Robinhood said on Thursday that the authorization will allow the commission-free platform to provide trading and custody across all 10 DFSA-approved asset classes from its new Dubai base. The planned offerings include stocks, crypto assets, ETFs, investment tokens and other services for retail investors.

The company has also established Dubai as its regional headquarters for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The approval extends Robinhood’s retail product lineup as the platform pursues further international expansion.

The move follows Robinhood’s expansion in the UK and EU. Its DFSA authorization gives the company a regulated base for serving Middle Eastern customers while bringing traditional securities, exchange-traded funds and crypto assets into a single retail offering.