Ripple opens Middle East & Africa HQ in Dubai’s DIFC

Ripple opened its Middle East & Africa regional headquarters at the Dubai International Financial Centre on April 29. The office creates capacity to double the company’s regional staff and to expand regulated cross-border payment, custody and dollar-backed stablecoin services across the region.

The new DIFC location follows Ripple’s initial Dubai presence established in 2020. The office will support banks, fintech firms and enterprise clients seeking compliant blockchain payment and custody solutions. Ripple named Zand Bank, Ctrl Alt, Garanti BBVA, Absa Bank and Chipper Cash among clients it will support from the hub.

Regulatory developments in Dubai preceded the expansion. In March 2025 Ripple obtained full licensing from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to operate cross-border payment services within the DIFC framework. The DFSA also recognized RLUSD, Ripple’s dollar-backed stablecoin, as a crypto token eligible for use by regulated entities in the financial centre.

Reece Merrick, managing director for the Middle East and Africa, wrote on X that the new office allows Ripple to “double our regional team and accelerate support for our clients and partners.”

His Excellency Arif Amiri, chief executive officer at DIFC Authority, commented that Ripple’s expansion reflects confidence in Dubai’s regulatory framework for digital assets and called the company “a model for how digital asset firms can operate with both ambition and accountability.”

Company officials added the licensing and token recognition will make it easier for regulated entities in the DIFC to use stablecoin rails and custody services within a supervised environment and to support cross-border payment flows that require local regulatory compliance. Ripple said activity in the Middle East and Africa has increased since 2020 and that the region accounts for a significant share of its global customer base.