Mitrade Joins the UAE Licensing Rush as Energy Markets Explode

Mitrade,
the Australian-regulated CFD broker, has obtained a license from the UAE
Capital Markets Authority (CMA), the firm announced today (Thursday), entering
the country’s mainland market as an energy crisis tied to the Strait of Hormuz
continues to drive sharp moves across global asset classes.

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The CMA license,
listed under number 20200000397, is Mitrade’s sixth regulatory approval
globally, the company said. It allows the broker to offer CFD products covering
forex, commodities, indices, shares, and ETFs to UAE-based clients. According
to Mitrade, the platform currently connects more than six million traders to
over 1,100 OTC derivative instruments.

The timing
of the announcement coincides with one of the most disruptive periods in recent
oil market history. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which under normal
conditions carries roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil supply, has fallen by
approximately 90% since late February, according to the International Energy Agency.

“CFDs
let traders respond to volatility without owning the underlying asset, that
flexibility matters when markets are moving this fast,” said Kevin Lai,
Vice President of Mitrade Group. “Mitrade is built for speed, reliability,
and the ability to trade from anywhere, which is exactly what turbulent markets
demand.”

A Queue at the CMA’s Door

Mitrade’s
UAE entry follows a well-worn path. The CMA license has become one of the most
sought-after regulatory approvals in the FX and CFD industry, with brokers
lining up to secure a mainland UAE presence as the region’s retail trading
market continues to expand, driven in part by a large and financially active
expatriate population.

PU Prime
obtained a Category 5 CMA
licence in February 2026, joining a long list of international brokers that have made the same
move. Empire Markets (FXEM), focused on the MENA region, also announced a CMA
Category 5 license in March 2026.

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A Finance
Magnates analysis published yesterday (Wednesday) noted that the CMA’s
legal reach across the entire UAE mainland is its most compelling benefit for
international firms, while the Category 5 route offers a lower-capital entry
point for brands not yet ready for full operational commitments in the market.

It is worth
noting, however, that a Category 5 CMA license – the category Mitrade appears
to hold – is defined as an “Arranging and Advisory” authorization,
covering financial consultation and introduction services.

A notice
from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority stated plainly that firms
holding only a Category 5 license are not authorized to conduct trading
operations, manage portfolios, or execute client orders in financial
derivatives, unregulated commodity contracts, or spot foreign exchange.

Mitrade did
not immediately clarify through which regulated entity UAE clients would
execute trades.

Sixth License, Sixth
Market Push

Mitrade’s
regulatory portfolio now spans six jurisdictions: Australia’s ASIC, Cyprus’s
CySEC, the Cayman Islands’ CIMA, Mauritius’s FSC, South Africa’s FSCA, and now
the UAE’s CMA. The South African license, added through an
acquisition completed in October 2025, was described at the time as part of a
broader push into the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The UAE approval
extends that regional strategy northward into the Gulf.

The broker
has also been expanding its product roster and payment infrastructure. In
mid-2025, Mitrade added
Apple Pay and Google Pay to its platform, a move targeted at younger retail traders in
Australia, where digital wallet payments have become a dominant payment method.
The company said its instrument count grew from 500 to 800 CFD products during
2025.

This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.



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