Ripple has opened a new regional headquarters in Dubai as it moves to scale its Middle East and Africa operations amid rising demand for regulated blockchain payments and custody services.
The office, located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), will give Ripple room to double its regional headcount as it steps up support for clients and partners across the Middle East and Africa. Ripple — which has had a presence in the UAE since 2020 — says the region now represents a meaningful slice of its global customer base, naming clients such as Zand Bank, Ctrl Alt, Garanti BBVA, Absa Bank and Chipper Cash.
“In recent years the Middle East has become an increasingly vital driver of Ripple’s global growth. From our earliest days in the UAE, we have seen first-hand the appetite from local businesses for regulated, blockchain-powered payment infrastructure, an appetite that is only growing,” said Reece Merrick, Managing Director for Middle East and Africa at Ripple.
Dubai authorities framed the move as proof of institutional confidence in the emirate’s digital-asset rules. “Ripple’s expansion within DIFC is a strong signal of the confidence that world‑leading digital asset firms have in Dubai as a global hub for blockchain technology,” said His Excellency Arif Amiri, CEO of the DIFC Authority, praising Ripple’s “ambition and accountability.”
Regulatory approvals have underpinned Ripple’s regional push. In March 2025 the company said it became the first blockchain payments provider to receive a full license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), enabling it to operate regulated cross-border digital payment services out of DIFC. Ripple also confirmed that RLUSD, its dollar‑pegged stablecoin, has been approved by the DFSA as a recognised crypto token — allowing regulated DIFC firms to use the asset.
Ripple said the expanded Dubai hub will deepen its support for customers in the Middle East and Africa, extend its regional reach and build on existing relationships as adoption of regulated blockchain infrastructure grows.
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