Dubai International Financial Centre published an update announcing that Ripple has received approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to provide regulated crypto payments and services in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), making it the first blockchain-enabled payments provider licensed by the DFSA in DIFC. The release describes the approval as Ripple’s first licence in the Middle East and says it will make Ripple’s compliance-focused global payments product available for businesses in the United Arab Emirates. It also notes Ripple has headquartered its Middle East operations in DIFC since 2020, cites growing regional demand for faster and more transparent cross-border payments, and references expectations of increased stablecoin usage alongside payment activity, including Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin exceeding USD 130m in market capitalisation.