Kudotrade has secured initial regulatory approval from the UAE's Capital Market Authority (CMA) and opened a Dubai office, joining a long line of CFD brokers chasing a foothold on the Emirates' mainland.

The Mauritius-licensed firm also said it acquired the Kudo.com domain and will use it as its primary brand identity going forward.

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The CMA, renamed from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) earlier this year, has become one of the most sought-after regulators in the global retail brokerage industry.

Kudotrade Joins a Crowded UAE Licensing Queue

The UAE rush has intensified through 2026. Mitrade obtained its CMA license in April, taking its regulatory portfolio to six jurisdictions.

PU Prime secured a Category 5 CMA licence in February, and Empire Markets followed in March. XTB went a step further, upgrading its Cat 5 to a full Category 1 and Category 2 licence in April, while Finalto opened a Dubai office in February under its own Cat 5 approval.

The pull is structural rather than tactical. As FinanceMagnates.com noted in a recent analysis of the CMA's appeal, the regulator allows licensed brokers to market services to retail clients across all seven Emirates, integrate with domestic UAE banks for AED settlement Settlement Settlement in finance refers to the process when a buyer makes payment and receives the agreed-upon services or goods. The term is used on exchanges such as New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) when security changes hands. When the asset is transferred and placed in the new buyer's name, it is considered settled. This process could take a few hours or several days after a trade is made. It depends on the clearance process. In the United States, the settlement date for marketable stocks is usually 2 Settlement in finance refers to the process when a buyer makes payment and receives the agreed-upon services or goods. The term is used on exchanges such as New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) when security changes hands. When the asset is transferred and placed in the new buyer's name, it is considered settled. This process could take a few hours or several days after a trade is made. It depends on the clearance process. In the United States, the settlement date for marketable stocks is usually 2 Read this Term, and bypass the geographical limits of DIFC's free-zone framework.

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Cat 5 capital requirements sit at AED 500,000, compared with AED 30 million for full Cat 1 broker-dealer status.

That economic gap, combined with the UAE's growing expatriate trading base, has produced what amounts to a queue.

Names already on the register include XM, Exinity, VT Markets, Eightcap, EC Markets, Pepperstone, Taurex, Capital.com, PrimeX Capital and Bybit.

The regulator reported an 18% jump in license applications in the first nine months of 2025 over the prior-year period, and last year automated parts of its review process to cut processing times.

From New CFD Brand to Prop Trading Push

Kudotrade is a relatively recent entrant. The brand was established in 2024 under a Mauritius FSC license, and has since hired a string of executives from Cyprus-based brokers including Capital.com, BDSwiss, Amana Capital and HFM.

Wilkinson, who joined as chief marketing Marketing Marketing is defined as the business process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers' needs and wants.This is a crucial element of any operation or brokerage in the financial services space. Well-funded marketing campaigns are instrumental to the survival and longevity of these companies in an increasingly competitive industry.Within the forex space, marketers perform a wide range of functions to help procure, secure, or retain clients.In particular, newer forex brokers also have t Marketing is defined as the business process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers' needs and wants.This is a crucial element of any operation or brokerage in the financial services space. Well-funded marketing campaigns are instrumental to the survival and longevity of these companies in an increasingly competitive industry.Within the forex space, marketers perform a wide range of functions to help procure, secure, or retain clients.In particular, newer forex brokers also have t Read this Term officer that year, is now confirmed as chief operating officer in the Dubai announcement.

The broker also moved into proprietary trading. In September 2025 it launched Kudo Funded, a challenge-based product offering up to $200,000 in capital, putting Kudotrade alongside Axi, OANDA, IC Markets, ThinkMarkets and FundedNext's brokerage arm in the converging broker-prop space.

The CFO recruited just before that launch, Stathis Flangofas, joined Kudotrade after a 16-year career that included Capital.com and HFM.

Wilkinson said the Dubai office "represents more than just a geographic expansion," framing the UAE as "a natural home" for the company's next phase.

The firm did not disclose initial headcount for the regional office, the timeline for converting initial CMA approval into a full license, or any anticipated capital deployment.

What "Initial Approval" Actually Buys

The wording matters. An initial CMA approval is a preliminary nod that lets a firm proceed toward full licensing, not a green light to onboard UAE residents.

Until Kudotrade completes the remaining authorization steps and the regulator issues a category-specific license, the company cannot legally market or sell trading services to retail clients in the country directly through the new entity.

By contrast, brokers including Mitrade, PU Prime and Empire Markets already hold issued Cat 5 licenses, while XTB, Capital.com and others operate under higher-tier authorizations that allow direct client-facing business across the UAE mainland.