New DIFC-located regional headquarters for Middle East and Africa creates capacity to double the size of existing operations to meet growing regional demand
DUBAI, April 30, 2026 – Ripple, the leading provider of blockchain-based enterprise solutions across traditional and digital finance, today announced an expansion of its presence in the UAE with the opening of its new Middle East and Africa (MEA) regional headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), creating capacity to grow its local team as demand for regulated blockchain-powered payment and custody solutions continues to accelerate across the region.
Ripple first established its MEA regional headquarters in Dubai in 2020. Since then, the company has grown its presence, with the Middle East now representing a significant share of Ripple's global customer base. The new office, which is located within DIFC, reflects the scale of that growth and provides the space to double the size of Ripple's regional team as it deepens support for clients and partners across the Middle East and Africa, including established clients such as Zand Bank, Ctrl Alt, Garanti BBVA, Absa Bank, and Chipper Cash.
Ripple’s momentum in the Middle East has been underpinned by a series of landmark regulatory milestones. In March 2025, the company became the first blockchain payments provider to be fully licensed by the DFSA, allowing the delivery of regulated cross-border digital payment services from within the DIFC. Most recently, the DFSA approved RLUSD, Ripple's dollar-backed stablecoin, as a recognised crypto token, enabling its use by regulated firms across the DIFC.
"In recent years the Middle East has become an increasingly vital driver of Ripple's global growth. Our new regional headquarters is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to playing our part in the region's upward trajectory," said Reece Merrick, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa at Ripple. "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. A larger team, based here in Dubai, will enable us to go further in supporting our clients and partners across the region and beyond.”
"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, Chief Executive Officer at DIFC Authority. “Since establishing its regional headquarters here, Ripple has been a model for how digital asset firms can operate with both ambition and accountability - connecting institutions to the future of finance through regulated, scalable technology. We look forward to deepening that partnership as they grow their presence in the DIFC."