CME Group Expands into the Middle East with Dubai International Financial Centre Office Opening

Rhea-AI Summary

CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) announced expansion into the Middle East with a new Dubai office in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), effective Oct 15, 2025. The Dubai office will operate locally under a DFSA license and serve as CME Group's Middle East hub led by Sharif Jaghman, Head of Middle East and Africa. The firm cited rising institutional and retail market participation and referenced a prior regional listing: the spot USD/AED currency pair listed on EBS Market and EBS Direct on June 30, 2025. The office aims to deepen client access to CME’s benchmark derivatives and services across the region.

Positive

• Opened Dubai office in DIFC on Oct 15, 2025
• Will operate locally under a DFSA license
• Appointed Sharif Jaghman as Head of Middle East and Africa
• Listed spot USD/AED on EBS on June 30, 2025

Negative

• None.

Insights

Market Expansion Analyst

CME Group’s DIFC office formalizes regional presence and local licensing, modestly strengthening its Middle East market access.

CME Group opens a Dubai office in DIFC under a DFSA license, establishing a local hub led by Sharif Jaghman. This creates direct operational capability to serve clients across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia and complements the June 30, 2025 USD/AED listing noted in the release.

Execution depends on regulatory approvals, client adoption, and integration with existing CME platforms; none of those variables are quantified here. The announcement signals readiness to provide local service and regulatory compliance, but it does not disclose revenue, trading volumes, or contractual commitments that would materially change financial forecasts.

Watch for measurable milestones over the next 6–18 months: DFSA license operational details, onboarding of local clearing or brokerage partners, reported client activity on EBS/Globex from the region, and any disclosed revenue or volume figures tied to the Dubai office.

CHICAGO and DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced its expansion into the Middle East with the opening of its Dubai office. Located in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the firm will operate locally under a DFSA license. 

"Surging institutional and retail participation in financial markets has fueled demand for broader trading access in the Middle East," said Julie Winkler, Chief Commercial Officer at CME Group. "Building on years of collaboration with regulators and brokers in the region, our new office will accelerate our ability to help clients manage risk and pursue opportunities in some of the world's most important benchmark products."

"This is a significant step forward in elevating our EMEA presence for our clients," said Serge Marston, Head of EMEA, CME Group. "Our Dubai office will operate as CME Group's Middle East hub, offering the UAE and surrounding markets a higher level of service than ever before."

Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority, added: "We are delighted to welcome CME Group to DIFC, strengthening a relationship we have built over many years. Their presence in the Centre is a testament to Dubai's strategic role as a global financial hub and underscores the growing opportunities in the region. We look forward to supporting CME Group as they capture new growth avenues and further strengthen their connections across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia."

CME Group's Dubai office will be led by Sharif Jaghman, Head of Middle East and Africa. Jaghman has nearly 20 years of experience in financial services. He was previously based in London for CME Group and has held various senior positions at the New York Stock Exchange and Euronext.

CME Group provides listed futures, options and cash markets across every major investable asset class including interest rates, equities, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural, metals and cryptocurrency products.

On June 30, 2025, CME Group listed  the spot U.S. Dollar / United Arab Emirates Dirham (USD/AED) currency pair on EBS Market and EBS Direct in response to client demand in the region.

For more information on our Middle East office please visit: https://www.cmegroup.com/content/cmegroup/ar.html

As the world's leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products and metals.  The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform.  In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing. 

CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec is a trademark of BrokerTec Americas LLC and EBS is a trademark of EBS Group LTD. The S&P 500 Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("S&P DJI"). "S&P®", "S&P 500®", "SPY®", "SPX®", US 500 and The 500 are trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones®, DJIA® and Dow Jones Industrial Average are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. These trademarks have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Futures contracts based on the S&P 500 Index are not sponsored, endorsed, marketed, or promoted by S&P DJI, and S&P DJI makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

CME-G

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cme-group-expands-into-the-middle-east-with-dubai-international-financial-centre-office-opening-302583505.html

SOURCE CME Group

FAQ

When did CME (CME) open its Dubai office in DIFC?

CME opened its Dubai office in DIFC on Oct 15, 2025.

Under what regulatory authority will CME's Dubai office operate?

The Dubai office will operate locally under a DFSA license.

Who is leading CME's Middle East and Africa operations in Dubai?

Sharif Jaghman will lead CME Group's Middle East and Africa office in Dubai.

What regional market listing did CME reference ahead of the Dubai opening?

CME listed the spot USD/AED currency pair on EBS Market and EBS Direct on June 30, 2025.

How will CME's Dubai hub affect access to benchmark products for Middle East investors?

CME said the Dubai hub will provide a higher level of local service and broader access to its benchmark derivatives and trading platforms.