Robinhood is launching in the Middle East. Can it win over the region’s investors?

US-based trading platform Robinhood is looking to capitalize on the Middle East’s growing appetite for retail investing as it prepares to enter the region next year.

Last week, the company secured authorization from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to offer trading and custody services across 10 asset classes, including equities, cryptocurrencies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and investment tokens. It also plans to establish its regional headquarters at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), using Dubai as a starting point for its expansion across the Middle East and North Africa.

Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Crypto and International, said the region presents an opportunity to reach a new generation of investors seeking easier access to global financial markets.

“The region is home to one of the world’s most tech-savvy, digitally native populations, with a new generation of investors looking for modern, seamless ways to participate in financial markets,” Kerbrat told Fast Company Middle East.

The company’s arrival comes as more investors enter the UAE’s financial markets. Dubai Financial Market registered 42,864 new investors in the first half of 2026, while the value of shares traded rose 40.4% compared with a year earlier. Foreign investors accounted for 71.4% of new registrations.

Younger investors are also increasing their appetite for financial assets. A May 2026 survey by trading platform eToro found that 59% of UAE investors aged 18 to 34 had increased their portfolio contributions over the previous three months, while 68% planned to invest more in the months ahead.

The figures help explain Robinhood’s interest in a region where rising market participation is creating opportunities for digital investment platforms.

Robinhood, which is best known for popularizing commission-free trading in the US, brought millions of newcomers into investing, with stock market participation increasing by nearly 20%. The company’s mission to “democratize finance for all” is reflected in its customer base, with “more than half of our US customers being first-time investors,” Kerbrat noted.

By the end of September 2026, Robinhood had 28.7 million funded customers, up 1.9 million from the previous year. Its average revenue per user has also recorded eye-popping growth, averaging 143% over the past two years.

The company is now looking to replicate that success in the Middle East, drawing on the commission-free trading model, easy-to-use interface and no-minimum investment policies that helped lower barriers to investing in the US.

“We want to have a similarly transformative impact in this region,” Kerbrat said. “We believe everyone should have the opportunity to invest and build wealth, regardless of their financial background, expertise or connections. As we expand into the region, our ambition is to make investing as simple, accessible and rewarding as possible.”

Yet Robinhood’s low-cost approach will face a tougher test in a market where digital investing is already well established. Platforms including eToro, Sarwa and amana offer access to international stocks, ETFs and other financial assets, while UAE-based EmCoin has launched a regulated platform spanning equities, cryptocurrencies, foreign exchange and commodities.

Kerbrat said the company would tailor its approach to local investors rather than simply replicate its existing services.

“We’ll look closely at broader market participation to understand how investing habits are evolving and whether we’re truly helping to make investing more accessible,” he said, adding that working closely with local leadership to understand the needs of investors will be a key priority for the company.

When investing gets easier, the risks don’t disappear

Making investing easier has been central to Robinhood’s growth. But the same approach has also drawn scrutiny over whether removing barriers to trading can expose inexperienced investors to risks they may not fully understand.

The platform faced scrutiny during the meme-stock trading frenzy of 2021, when retail investors piled into highly volatile shares, including GameStop. Critics questioned whether simplified trading interfaces and easy access to complex products encouraged speculative behavior.

Those concerns could become relevant in the Middle East, where Robinhood hopes to attract younger investors, including people entering financial markets for the first time.

“We take our responsibility to customers extremely seriously, and investor protection is central to how we design and deliver products,” Kerbrat said.

For higher-risk products such as futures, options and cryptocurrencies, the company said customers must meet eligibility requirements and pass an appropriateness assessment before gaining access.

Robinhood is also investing in educational tools intended to help customers understand market movements and make more informed decisions.

Education is central to our approach. We believe that empowering people to participate in financial markets starts with giving them the knowledge and confidence to invest,” Kerbrat said.

Robinhood offers educational resources through Robinhood Learn, in-app learning modules and real-time financial news. More recently, it introduced Cortex Digests, an AI-powered feature that helps investors understand what is driving changes in asset prices and their portfolios.

The tools are intended to make financial information easier to navigate, particularly for those with limited investment experience. But Kerbrat argued that knowledge alone is not enough, and that confidence and judgment develop through experience.

“Ultimately, we believe retail investors are far more capable than they’re often given credit for,” he said, adding that investing is a skill developed through practice and over time.

Robinhood eyes tokenization as its next opportunity

While Robinhood’s immediate priority is establishing its regional trading operations, the company also sees opportunities in tokenization, a technology that could change how financial assets are bought, sold and owned.

Tokenization uses blockchain technology to create digital representations of assets such as stocks, bonds and real estate. By dividing ownership into smaller units, it could allow investors to gain exposure to assets that might otherwise be beyond their financial reach, while potentially reducing transaction costs and enabling trading outside conventional market hours.

“Some of the biggest barriers to investing for consumers are cost and access,” Kerbrat said. “Tokenization is a foundational technology for the future of finance, and one where Robinhood can play a leading role. As we expand into new markets, we’ll want to find ways to bring the benefits of tokenisation to more customers,” he added.

Dubai is already putting the concept into practice. In 2025, the Dubai Land Department launched a real estate tokenization initiative that allows investors to purchase fractional interests in properties for as little as $545 through the Prypco Mint platform. The initiative has since expanded beyond initial purchases. In February 2026, the department introduced secondary-market trading, allowing investors to resell property tokens under a regulated pilot framework. 

Robinhood’s DFSA authorization also includes investment tokens, potentially paving the way for the company to introduce tokenized financial products as its regional business develops — although such offerings may still be some way off.

“The widespread adoption of tokenized investment products is inevitable, although it won’t happen overnight,” Kerbrat said. “ For us, the opportunity goes beyond improving market efficiency. It’s about reimagining the financial system with access and ownership as the default, rather than the exception, and giving people greater control over their assets,” he added.

Dubai as a gateway to the wider region

Robinhood’s expansion into Dubai marks another step in its international growth, following its entry into the UK and European Union. The choice of DIFC gives the company a regulated base from which to serve UAE investors, while positioning it closer to potential customers across the wider Middle East and North Africa.

Robinhood has appointed Salah Kaddoura as Senior Executive Officer and President of Robinhood MENA to lead its regional operations and build its local team.

For now, the company will be developing products for UAE investors, with no launches in other regional markets announced.

“Our focus at present is launching our hub in the DIFC and continuing to build our product suite for local investors,” Kerbrat said.

Its longer-term ambitions extend beyond winning customers from established competitors, with Robinhood looking to increase retail participation in financial markets.

“Ultimately, success for us isn’t just about growing our customer base — it’s about expanding ownership and empowering more people around the world to own a stake in the global economy,” Kerbrat concluded.