Overview
- Ripple, which opened a new Middle East and Africa headquarters in Dubai’s DIFC Thursday, says the site gives room to double its regional team to meet demand for regulated payments and custody.
- The company reports the Middle East now accounts for roughly 20% of its global customer base, reflecting rapid enterprise uptake of blockchain payment rails across the region.
- In March 2025 Ripple became the first blockchain payments provider to secure a full license from Dubai’s Financial Services Authority, allowing regulated cross‑border digital payment services from within the DIFC.
- DFSA recognition in June 2025 made RLUSD, Ripple’s dollar‑pegged stablecoin, usable by regulated DIFC firms for custody, settlement, and payments, with CoinGecko data placing RLUSD’s market cap above $1.5 billion.
- DIFC Authority CEO Arif Amiri called the expansion a vote of confidence in Dubai’s digital‑asset framework, as banks and fintechs such as Zand Bank, Ctrl Alt, Garanti BBVA, Absa Bank, and Chipper Cash build on Ripple’s rails.