Robinhood has received regulatory approval to build a retail investing business in Dubai and plans a 2027 Middle East launch, adding a new regional base for its brokerage and digital-asset services.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) public register lists Robinhood MENA Limited as licensed from July 20, 2026. It records permissions for arranging deals in investments and arranging custody. The entry also carries an endorsement for financial services to retail clients, defining the customer category covered in the register.
In its Oct. 22 announcement, Robinhood said the authorization will support a planned range of equities, cryptocurrencies, exchange-traded funds and investment tokens. The company said the products would widen local investors’ access to investment services. That mix spans conventional securities and fund products as well as digital assets. Robinhood set 2027 as the launch year but did not specify a date.
Robinhood plans to locate its regional operation at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Salah Kaddoura, Robinhood MENA President and Senior Executive Officer, will lead the business and oversee a growing local team, the company said.
DIFC reported 1,134 regulated financial-services firms at the end of H1 2026, 16% more than a year earlier. The center’s first-half expansion gives context to the financial-services sector where Robinhood plans to operate.
DIFC Authority CEO Arif Amiri said Robinhood’s presence would add to the center’s financial-services ecosystem. Robinhood and Amiri cited demand for accessible, technology-driven investment services as a rationale for the expansion.
The timing separates the regulatory milestone from the customer rollout: the DFSA records the license from July, while Robinhood has scheduled its planned product launch for 2027. The company has not announced a specific launch date.
