PU Prime Secures Category 5 Licence in Dubai Amid Broker Influx to UAE

PU Prime has obtained a Category 5 licence in Dubai, joining a growing list of contracts for differences (CFDs) brokers establishing a regulated presence in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the register of the UAE’s Capital Market Authority (CMA), recently rebranded from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), the licence permits the firm to promote and introduce financial products offered by affiliated offshore entities. However, Category 5 licensees are not authorised to hold client funds or execute trades locally and must refer UAE-based clients to offshore operations.

The Category 5 framework has become a common entry route for international brokers due to its lower regulatory and capital requirements. A Category 1 licence, which grants full brokerage status in the UAE, requires a minimum capital commitment of AED 30 million, compared with AED 500,000 for Category 5. Category 1 firms must also maintain larger operational teams and more extensive onshore infrastructure.

Several global brokers, including XM, Exinity, VT Markets, Eightcap, EC Markets, Pepperstone, and Taurex, have opted for the Category 5 model. Others, such as Plus500, XTB, Deriv, and RoboMarkets, have secured Category 1 licences, taking on the higher compliance and capital thresholds associated with full brokerage operations.

Founded in 2015, PU Prime operates primarily under offshore licences in jurisdictions such as Mauritius and Seychelles. The company also holds regulatory approval in South Africa and expanded into Australia last year through the acquisition of Admirals’ local business.

The firm’s move into the UAE reflects broader industry interest in the region, where brokers have reported rising client activity. Capital.com previously stated that 52 percent of its trading volume in the first half of 2025 originated from the Middle East, compared with 15 percent from Europe. The broker reported 35,000 traders in the MENA region versus 61,400 in Europe. Of its $804.1 billion trading volume in MENA, 71.7 percent was attributed to UAE-based traders.

CFI Financial, another broker with a strong regional focus, reported $2.07 trillion in trading volume in the fourth quarter of 2025, surpassing much of its prior activity. For comparison, the company’s total trading volume for the full year 2024 stood at $2.79 trillion.