Capital.com Expands to UAE Virtual Assets Following Full CMA Licence Approval

Capital.com has secured a critical foothold in the Middle Eastern digital asset market through a new licensing milestone in the United Arab Emirates. By enabling direct virtual-asset investment services via its affiliate, the firm is bridging the gap between traditional trading and regulated crypto custody for a sophisticated regional investor base.

What was announced

Capital.com is set to launch virtual-asset investment services for its clients in the UAE, following the granting of a specialized licence to its affiliate, Capital Vault Virtual Services L.L.C - S.P.C. (Capital Vault UAE). The licence was issued by the Capital Market Authority (CMA), the federal regulator overseeing virtual assets in the Emirates. This regulatory approval positions Capital Vault UAE as one of the first firms to operate under the CMA’s comprehensive virtual-asset framework.

The scope of the licence is broad, permitting Capital Vault UAE to deal in virtual assets as both an agent and a matching principal. Crucially, the firm is also authorized to provide custody services, allowing it to hold assets on behalf of clients. Once the service goes live, users of the Capital.com app in the UAE will be able to purchase virtual assets outright. These assets will be managed under a regulated layer provided by Capital Vault, covering execution, custody, and settlement from its dedicated office in Abu Dhabi.

To ensure institutional-grade security and compliance, Capital Vault operates as a separate regulated entity. Its governance, risk management, and custody arrangements are strictly ring-fenced from Capital.com’s other regulated business lines. This UAE expansion follows a similar regulatory success in Europe, where Capital Vault Europe was among the initial group of firms authorized under the MiCA CASP framework in December 2025.

"Capital.com clients across the region have been asking for a straightforward, regulated way to buy and hold virtual-assets alongside the markets they already trade. This licence lets us bring that to clients in the UAE, with Capital Vault providing the infrastructure behind it, and more products to follow."

Tarik Chebib, Chief Executive Officer MENA, Capital.com.

The companies involved

Capital.com is a high-growth fintech firm that operates a global trading platform, providing users access to a wide range of financial markets. The company has increasingly focused on integrating digital assets into its core offering, utilizing specialized affiliates to navigate complex multi-jurisdictional regulations. Its regional operations are spearheaded by Tarik Chebib, who leads the MENA division.

Capital Vault UAE and Capital Vault Europe serve as the group’s dedicated virtual-asset infrastructure arms. By separating these entities, the group maintains distinct risk profiles for its crypto-asset activities. Rahul Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Capital Vault UAE, leads the Abu Dhabi-based team. The Capital Market Authority (CMA) acts as the primary federal regulator for virtual assets in the UAE, establishing the rigorous standards for licensing and oversight that Capital Vault UAE has now met. This regulatory body is central to the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for digital finance, providing the legal certainty required for large-scale fintech operations.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely tracked the rapid evolution of the Middle Eastern financial landscape, particularly the UAE's push toward digital integration. We previously covered how the ADX became the first MENA exchange to launch live market data integration for ChatGPT and Claude, highlighting the region's appetite for advanced trading tech. The growth of the local investor base was further evidenced when BHM Capital reported strong H1 2026 results with 30,000 new investors. Furthermore, the region's status as a fintech powerhouse is set to be cemented as Money20/20 Middle East returns to Riyadh for 2026. We also noted talent shifts in the sector, such as when Base Markets appointed Nazim Moussaoui to drive global expansion.

What this means

This move is a calculated play by Capital.com to capture the "regulated crypto" segment in a region that is rapidly outpacing Europe and North America in regulatory clarity. By securing a CMA licence, Capital.com isn't just adding a new asset class; it is building a moat against offshore, unregulated exchanges that are increasingly being squeezed by UAE authorities. The decision to house these services in a separate entity, Capital Vault, is a sophisticated nod to risk management that will appeal to high-net-worth traders in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Watch for other retail brokers to follow suit, as the pressure to offer "one-stop-shop" trading apps becomes the industry standard in the MENA region.