Ripple expands team in UAE with new office in DIFC

Ripple, a provider of blockchain-based enterprise solutions across traditional and digital finance, has expanded 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).

As per the announcement, Ripple is growing its local team as the demand for regulated blockchain powered payment and custody solutions increase in the region. For example Ripple partnered with Ctrl Alt, a real estate tokenization infrastructure platform that is being used by the Dubai Land Department, to provide its custody technology. Ripple is now supporting the real estate tokenization project, Prypco Mint platform, with its XRP Ledger blockchain technology, as well its custody solutions.

Ripple noted that while it established its regional headquarters in Dubai back in 2020, the fact that the region now makes up a significant share of Ripple’s global customer base has prompted it to double the size of its Ripple regional team.

Currently Ripple has established clients such as Zand Bank, Ctrl Alt, Garanti BBVA, Absa Bank, and Chipper Cash.

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 recognized crypto token, enabling its use by regulated firms across the DIFC.

Reece Merrick, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa at Ripple noted, “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.”

His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer at DIFC Authority, added that Ripple’s expansion signals confidence in Dubai as a global hub for blockchain technology. He attests that Ripple has been a model for how digital asset firms can operate with both ambition and accountability.