Robinhood gets Dubai approval for Middle East retail investing push

Robinhood has received authorization from Dubai’s financial regulator to use the Dubai International Financial Centre as the base for a Middle East retail-investing platform. The U.S. investment app says it aims to begin rolling out products in 2027; the approval covers access to trading and custody—the holding of assets for customers—across 10 regulator-approved asset categories, including stocks, exchange-traded funds, and crypto. In practical terms, Dubai gives Robinhood a regulated regional foothold as it seeks customers outside its home market, but it has not said which countries will be served, when each product will arrive, or what it will cost. For investors, the news signals another global trading app preparing to compete for retail money in the region, not an immediate service launch.