Robinhood secures Dubai DFSA license for Middle East retail investors, launch set for 2027

Robinhood MENA Limited received a Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) license on July 20 to serve retail investors across the Middle East, establishing its regional headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The license covers 10 DFSA-approved asset classes, including stocks, ETFs, crypto, and investment tokens. However, Robinhood will not launch its products until 2027, facing competition from established brokers like eToro and crypto-native rivals such as Kraken and Bybit, which have already secured VARA approvals.