By OKX Middle East GM Rifad Mahasneh
Tonight, on stage at our gala event at the Museum of the Future, I had the honor of announcing that we've officially launched our VARA-licensed crypto exchange in Dubai.
We're now the first global crypto company in UAE to offer AED banking rails for our retail and institutional customers. This significant milestone allows us to offer a broad range of crypto trading services in the UAE through our local entity, OKX Middle East Fintech FZE.
Tonight's event, called A New Alternative for Dubai, featured well-known speakers and leaders across sectors, including our founder and CEO Star Xu, Manchester City men's first team manager Pep Guardiola, founder and managing partner of Skybridge Capital Anthony Scaramucci, Polygon Co-founder Sandeep Nailwal and Co-creator of Stacks Muneeb Ali, who engaged in discussions focused on the future of blockchain applications and innovation across different business sectors.
Our vision is that as the blockchain ecosystem continues to evolve, it will eventually create a new alternative application economy where builders will create a safer, more secure and transparent internet. Industry players like us have a role to play in this evolution, as do leading talent centers like the UAE.
Why UAE?
The UAE has rapidly become a global hub for virtual assets in a region that is increasingly recognized for its technological innovation and strategic location between Europe and Asia. Our launch in the UAE allows us to tap into a diverse and technologically savvy community eager to engage with the evolving crypto landscape.
UAE's regulatory approach to virtual assets is exemplary, and we are glad to have had the opportunity over the past year to apply for the VARA license. With full operational approval, we are poised to offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet the needs of retail, qualified and institutional investors in the region.
At OKX, we align our operations with local and global standards to ensure a secure and compliant environment for our customers. Our VARA approval enables us to double down on this strategy in the UAE.
We hosted our event in Dubai because it holds a prime position at the forefront of this technological revolution, and innovation in blockchain and crypto is aligned with its 2033 vision.
Our local product
Our platform, uniquely tailored for the UAE market, now offers UAE residents the ability to engage in spot, convert, express buy & sell and on-chain earn products with over 280 cryptocurrencies and 480 trading pairs. At launch, we're featuring three key AED trading pairs: BTC/AED, ETH/AED and USDT/AED.
Qualified and institutional investors who meet certain criteria now have access to our leading derivatives trading product as well.
All of our customers can enjoy AED deposit and withdrawal functionality through local UAE bank accounts for a seamless, convenient experience.
We're leveraging our global resources to bring advanced and intuitive trading tools to the local market. As we continue to grow, our goal is to deepen our investment and engagement with the local community, further enriching our offerings. From today onwards, our platform and customer service are available in Arabic to cater to our diverse customer base.
We invite UAE residents to join us on this exciting journey. Please download the OKX app, visit our website and explore the innovative features and services we have curated for you.
Disclaimer
This content is not an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or hold Virtual assets. Virtual assets are subject to extreme market volatility, involve a high degree of risk, and can lose value, in part or in full. Investing in Virtual Assets may lead to you losing your entire investment. Virtual assets are not insured and lack legal protection against potential losses and are not protected by any form of financial protection whatsoever. Avoid making investment decisions driven solely by urgency. OKX Middle East Fintech FZE is licensed by the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority to provide VA Exchange Services, VA Management and Investment Services and VA Lending and Borrowing Services. OKX Middle East Fintech FZE operates under VASP Reference: VL/23/12/003.
© 2025 OKX. Tento článek může být reprodukován nebo šířen jako celek, případně mohou být použity výňatky tohoto článku nepřekračující 100 slov za předpokladu, že se jedná o nekomerční použití. U každé reprodukce či distribuce celého článku musí být viditelně uvedeno: „Tento článek je © 2025 OKX a je použit na základě poskytnutého oprávnění.“ U povolených výňatků musí být uveden název článku a zdroj, a to např. takto: „Název článku, [místo pro jméno autora, je-li k dispozici], © 2025 OKX.” Část obsahu může být generována nástroji umělé inteligence (AI) nebo s jejich asistencí. Z tohoto článku nesmí být vytvářena odvozená díla ani nesmí být používán jiným způsobem.
