The broker has obtained a Category 5 licence from Dubai’s Securities and Commodities Authority.
It plans to start using the licence before the end of 2025.
Opus Tower in Business Bay where XM's Dubai office is.
XM, a major name in the contracts for differences (CFDs) brokerage industry, has expanded into the Middle East and secured a Category 5 licence from Dubai’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), FinanceMagnates.com has learned.
The broker is planning to start using the licence before the end of 2025.
The regulatory register shows that the licence was granted to the locally formed entity, XM Financial Products Promotion, which was established in January this year.
The broker also established its Dubai office in the city’s iconic Opus Building at Business Bay.
Details of XM' SCA license on the regulator's website
Under the Category 5 licence, brokers may operate in a similar way to introducing brokers (IBs) in Dubai. They are permitted to promote their services to potential customers in the UAE and direct them to be onboarded under their non-UAE entities.
However, Category 5 licence holders are not authorised to hold client funds locally or execute trades—activities that require a Category 1 licence.
According to XM, the Category 5 licence better aligns with its business model—it only wants to promote products and services to the UAE market. However, it has kept the option open to apply for a Category 1 licence in the future.
Interestingly, XM is already regulated in Dubai, but by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), which oversees companies operating from the city’s free-trade zone.
The broker holds other licences from regulators in Cyprus, Belize, Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa. Trading.com, which is a sister brand of XM, is also regulated in the US, the UK, Cyprus, and Australia.
Deep-Pocket Traders Are Attracting Brokers to Dubai
Several other brokers recently obtained Dubai’s SCA licence, though most opted for Category 5, which enables them to operate as introducing brokers. Exinity, VT Markets, Eightcap, EC Markets, and Taurex are among those with a Category 5 licence.
However, a few names, including Plus500, XTB, and RoboMarkets, went for Dubai’s full brokerage licence.
Brokers’ interest in the Middle East is being driven by the opportunity to tap into the region’s high-value traders. Capital.com recently reported that 52 per cent of its H1 trading volume came from the Middle East, compared to 15 per cent from Europe. The broker had 35,000 MENA traders compared with 61,400 in Europe.
Furthermore, 71.7 per cent of Capital.com's $804.1 billion in trading volume in MENA was generated by UAE-based traders.
CFI Financial, another Middle East-focused CFDs broker, handled a record $1.51 trillion in trading volume during the second quarter of 2025. In comparison, the broker’s trading volume for the entire year of 2024 was $2.79 trillion.
XM, a major name in the contracts for differences (CFDs) brokerage industry, has expanded into the Middle East and secured a Category 5 licence from Dubai’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), FinanceMagnates.com has learned.
The broker is planning to start using the licence before the end of 2025.
The regulatory register shows that the licence was granted to the locally formed entity, XM Financial Products Promotion, which was established in January this year.
The broker also established its Dubai office in the city’s iconic Opus Building at Business Bay.
Details of XM' SCA license on the regulator's website
Under the Category 5 licence, brokers may operate in a similar way to introducing brokers (IBs) in Dubai. They are permitted to promote their services to potential customers in the UAE and direct them to be onboarded under their non-UAE entities.
However, Category 5 licence holders are not authorised to hold client funds locally or execute trades—activities that require a Category 1 licence.
According to XM, the Category 5 licence better aligns with its business model—it only wants to promote products and services to the UAE market. However, it has kept the option open to apply for a Category 1 licence in the future.
Interestingly, XM is already regulated in Dubai, but by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), which oversees companies operating from the city’s free-trade zone.
The broker holds other licences from regulators in Cyprus, Belize, Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa. Trading.com, which is a sister brand of XM, is also regulated in the US, the UK, Cyprus, and Australia.
Deep-Pocket Traders Are Attracting Brokers to Dubai
Several other brokers recently obtained Dubai’s SCA licence, though most opted for Category 5, which enables them to operate as introducing brokers. Exinity, VT Markets, Eightcap, EC Markets, and Taurex are among those with a Category 5 licence.
However, a few names, including Plus500, XTB, and RoboMarkets, went for Dubai’s full brokerage licence.
Brokers’ interest in the Middle East is being driven by the opportunity to tap into the region’s high-value traders. Capital.com recently reported that 52 per cent of its H1 trading volume came from the Middle East, compared to 15 per cent from Europe. The broker had 35,000 MENA traders compared with 61,400 in Europe.
Furthermore, 71.7 per cent of Capital.com's $804.1 billion in trading volume in MENA was generated by UAE-based traders.
CFI Financial, another Middle East-focused CFDs broker, handled a record $1.51 trillion in trading volume during the second quarter of 2025. In comparison, the broker’s trading volume for the entire year of 2024 was $2.79 trillion.
Arnab is an electronics engineer-turned-financial editor. He entered the industry covering the cryptocurrency market for Finance Magnates and later expanded his reach to forex as well. He is passionate about the changing regulatory landscape on financial markets and keenly follows the disruptions in the industry with new-age technologies.
In this video, we take an in-depth look at @BlueberryMarketsForex , a forex and CFD broker operating since 2016, offering access to multiple trading platforms, over 1,000 instruments, and flexible account types for different trading styles.
We break down Blueberry’s regulatory structure, including its Australian Financial Services License (AFSL), as well as its authorisation and registrations in other jurisdictions. The review also covers supported platforms such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, Blueberry.X, and web-based trading.
You’ll learn about available instruments across forex, commodities, indices, share CFDs, and crypto CFDs, along with leverage options, minimum and maximum trade sizes, and how Blueberry structures its Standard and Raw accounts.
We also explain spreads, commissions, swap rates, swap-free account availability, funding and withdrawal methods, processing times, and what traders can expect from customer support and additional services.
Watch the full review to see whether Blueberry’s trading setup aligns with your experience level, strategy, and risk tolerance.
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#Blueberry #BlueberryMarkets #BrokerReview #ForexBroker #CFDTrading #OnlineTrading #FinanceMagnates #TradingPlatforms #MarketInsights
In this video, we take an in-depth look at @BlueberryMarketsForex , a forex and CFD broker operating since 2016, offering access to multiple trading platforms, over 1,000 instruments, and flexible account types for different trading styles.
We break down Blueberry’s regulatory structure, including its Australian Financial Services License (AFSL), as well as its authorisation and registrations in other jurisdictions. The review also covers supported platforms such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, Blueberry.X, and web-based trading.
You’ll learn about available instruments across forex, commodities, indices, share CFDs, and crypto CFDs, along with leverage options, minimum and maximum trade sizes, and how Blueberry structures its Standard and Raw accounts.
We also explain spreads, commissions, swap rates, swap-free account availability, funding and withdrawal methods, processing times, and what traders can expect from customer support and additional services.
Watch the full review to see whether Blueberry’s trading setup aligns with your experience level, strategy, and risk tolerance.
📣 Stay up to date with the latest in finance and trading. Follow Finance Magnates for industry news, insights, and global event coverage.
Connect with us:
🔗 LinkedIn: /financemagnates
👍 Facebook: /financemagnates
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/financemagnates
🐦 X: https://x.com/financemagnates
🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/tag/financemagnates
▶️ YouTube: /@financemagnates_official
#Blueberry #BlueberryMarkets #BrokerReview #ForexBroker #CFDTrading #OnlineTrading #FinanceMagnates #TradingPlatforms #MarketInsights
Exness CMO Alfonso Cardalda on Cape Town office launch, Africa growth, and marketing strategy
Exness CMO Alfonso Cardalda on Cape Town office launch, Africa growth, and marketing strategy
Exness is expanding its presence in Africa, and in this exclusive interview, CMO Alfonso Cardalda shares how.
Filmed during the grand opening of Exness’s new Cape Town office, Alfonso sits down with Andrea Badiola Mateos from Finance Magnates to discuss:
- Exness’s marketing approach in South Africa
- What makes their trading product stand out
- Customer retention vs. acquisition strategies
- The role of local influencers
- Managing growth across emerging markets
👉 Watch the full interview for fundamental insights into the future of trading in Africa.
#Exness #Forex #Trading #SouthAfrica #CapeTown #Finance #FinanceMagnates
Exness is expanding its presence in Africa, and in this exclusive interview, CMO Alfonso Cardalda shares how.
Filmed during the grand opening of Exness’s new Cape Town office, Alfonso sits down with Andrea Badiola Mateos from Finance Magnates to discuss:
- Exness’s marketing approach in South Africa
- What makes their trading product stand out
- Customer retention vs. acquisition strategies
- The role of local influencers
- Managing growth across emerging markets
👉 Watch the full interview for fundamental insights into the future of trading in Africa.
#Exness #Forex #Trading #SouthAfrica #CapeTown #Finance #FinanceMagnates
How does the Finance Magnates newsroom handle sensitive updates that may affect a brand?
How does the Finance Magnates newsroom handle sensitive updates that may affect a brand?
Yam Yehoshua, Editor-in-Chief at Finance Magnates, explains the approach: reaching out before publication, hearing all sides, and making careful, case-by-case decisions with balance and responsibility.
⚖ Balanced reporting
📞 Right of response
📰 Responsible journalism
#FinanceMagnates #FinancialJournalism #ResponsibleReporting #FinanceNews #EditorialStandards
Yam Yehoshua, Editor-in-Chief at Finance Magnates, explains the approach: reaching out before publication, hearing all sides, and making careful, case-by-case decisions with balance and responsibility.
⚖ Balanced reporting
📞 Right of response
📰 Responsible journalism
#FinanceMagnates #FinancialJournalism #ResponsibleReporting #FinanceNews #EditorialStandards
Executive Interview | Kieran Duff | Head of UK Growth & Business Development, Darwinex | FMLS:25
Executive Interview | Kieran Duff | Head of UK Growth & Business Development, Darwinex | FMLS:25
Here is our conversation with Kieran Duff, who brings a rare dual view of the market as both a broker and a trader at Darwinex.
We begin with his take on the Summit and then turn to broker growth. Kieran shares one quick, practical tip brokers can use right now to improve performance. We also cover the rising spotlight on prop trading and whether it is good or bad for the trading industry.
Kieran explains where Darwinex sits on the CFDs-broker-meets-funding spectrum, and how the model differs from the typical setups seen across the market.
We finish with a look at how he uses AI in his daily workflow — both inside the brokerage and in his own trading.
Here is our conversation with Kieran Duff, who brings a rare dual view of the market as both a broker and a trader at Darwinex.
We begin with his take on the Summit and then turn to broker growth. Kieran shares one quick, practical tip brokers can use right now to improve performance. We also cover the rising spotlight on prop trading and whether it is good or bad for the trading industry.
Kieran explains where Darwinex sits on the CFDs-broker-meets-funding spectrum, and how the model differs from the typical setups seen across the market.
We finish with a look at how he uses AI in his daily workflow — both inside the brokerage and in his own trading.
Why does trust matter in financial news? #TrustedNews #FinanceNews #CapitalMarkets
Why does trust matter in financial news? #TrustedNews #FinanceNews #CapitalMarkets
According to Yam Yehoshua, Editor-in-Chief at Finance Magnates, in a world flooded with information, the difference lies in rigorous cross-checking, human scrutiny, and a commitment to publishing only factual, trustworthy reporting.
📰 Verified reporting
🔎 Human-led scrutiny
✅ Facts over noise
According to Yam Yehoshua, Editor-in-Chief at Finance Magnates, in a world flooded with information, the difference lies in rigorous cross-checking, human scrutiny, and a commitment to publishing only factual, trustworthy reporting.
📰 Verified reporting
🔎 Human-led scrutiny
✅ Facts over noise
