Pepperstone Expands UAE Presence With SCA Category 5 Licence And Dubai Hub

Pepperstone, a global online broker, has expanded its presence in the UAE after receiving a Category 5 licence from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and opening a new onshore office in Dubai at Emaar Square, Building 3, 3rd Floor, Office 2. The move develops Pepperstone’s regional strategy by placing the firm closer to clients and partners in what it sees as one of the world’s more sophisticated and fast-growing trading markets.

The SCA Category 5 licence permits Pepperstone to conduct “Arrangement and Advice” activities in the UAE. This allows the broker to undertake regulated marketing, promotion and specific advisory and introduction services for professional clients and partners within the onshore regime, under local governance and transparency requirements.

Operating under this framework means Pepperstone can interact with onshore professional clients in a fully regulated environment that is aligned with SCA rules and broader UAE regulatory expectations. The new Dubai office will act as Pepperstone’s regional hub for the UAE and the wider MENA region, offering relationship management, commercial support and education to local market participants, as well as serving as a central contact point for institutional partners, professional traders and introducing brokers.

“Securing our SCA Category 5 licence and opening our onshore office in Emaar Square is a strategic milestone for Pepperstone in the Middle East,” said Gescard Hessen, Head of MENA at Pepperstone. “The UAE is one of the most dynamic trading hubs in the world. Operating onshore under the SCA framework allows us to stay closer to our clients and partners, respond faster to evolving market needs, and deepen our investment in the region’s growth story.”

“Securing our SCA Category 5 licence and opening our onshore office in Emaar Square is a strategic milestone for Pepperstone in the Middle East. The UAE is one of the most dynamic trading hubs in the world. Operating onshore under the SCA framework allows us to stay closer to our clients and partners, respond faster to evolving market needs, and deepen our investment in the region’s growth story.”
– Gescard Hessen, Head of MENA at Pepperstone

Gescard Hessen, Head of MENA at Pepperstone

The SCA licence adds to Pepperstone’s existing global regulatory portfolio and is intended to support a consistent and highly governed experience for clients seeking both execution quality and regulatory clarity. Alongside its permissions in other jurisdictions, the new authorisation is designed to support professional clients with infrastructure, technology and oversight under defined regulatory frameworks.

Pepperstone is a multi-regulated forex and CFDs broker providing trading services in forex, stocks, commodities and other asset classes. Founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia by a team of traders focused on improving the online trading experience, the firm is regulated by ASIC, SCB, CMA, CySEC, FCA, BaFin and DFSA. Pepperstone says it is trusted by over 400,000 traders globally and processes an average of US$12.55bn of trades every day, and has received industry recognition from organisations including Investment Trends, Deloitte and Compare Forex Brokers.

Found this interesting? Become a member of LiquidityFinder and get daily industry news direct to your inbox — join here.