•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said he is “proud to be expanding in the UAE,” citing the company’s growth in the Middle East. The announcement follows Ripple’s decision to open a new headquarters at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a move tied to rising demand for regulated digital asset services, including payments and custody.
Ripple said the expanded DIFC facility provides the physical capacity needed to double the size of its existing regional team. Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, said the company has seen a “massive and growing appetite” from local businesses.
Ripple is not new to the UAE. The company established its initial MEA regional headquarters in Dubai in 2020. Since then, the Middle East has become a key driver of Ripple’s global expansion, with the region now accounting for a significant share of the company’s global customer base.
With the new headquarters, Ripple aims to deepen support for its partners and clients across the Middle East and Africa, including Zand Bank and Absa Bank, among others.
Garlinghouse previously floated the idea of relocating Ripple’s global headquarters from San Francisco to Dubai during the period leading up to the company’s legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Ripple executives have pointed to Dubai’s approach to crypto regulation.
In March 2025, Ripple said it became the first blockchain payments provider to be fully licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). More recently, the DFSA approved Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
