Robinhood receives Dubai approval for Middle East expansion

Robinhood has received authorization from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate a retail investment platform within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The license permits the company to provide trading and custody services across 10 asset classes, including stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and investment tokens.

The firm intends to use the DIFC as its regional headquarters for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Salah Kaddoura has been appointed as the Senior Executive Officer and President of Robinhood MENA to lead these operations.

While the regulatory approval marks a significant milestone, Robinhood does not expect to launch its full suite of services for eligible regional investors until 2027. This move follows the company's recent international expansions into the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore, and Canada.